Serbia’s student-led movement defeats Vučić in historic parliamentary election

Consensus Summary

Serbia’s parliamentary elections marked a historic shift as President Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat to a student-led movement, ending his long tenure in power. Both ABC and the Guardian report that Vučić acknowledged the Student List’s victory on Sunday, projecting they would secure between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-seat parliament, while his SNS party would win 105 seats. Polls had earlier suggested the Student List would gain 138 deputies, with Vučić’s party securing 104 seats, leaving the remaining seats for ethnic national minority parties. The election, held on Sunday, saw a turnout of nearly 70 per cent, the highest since Yugoslavia’s breakup in 1992, signaling widespread public desire for change.

The protests that led to the snap election began almost two years ago, triggered by the collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad in 2024, which killed 16 people. Vučić, who had led Serbia for either 14 years (ABC) or 12 years (Guardian), called the election in September after prolonged demonstrations against corruption and authoritarianism. The Guardian notes that Vučić resigned the presidency last month, gambling on snap elections to regain control, while the ABC emphasizes his endorsement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his accusations that the student movement was foreign-backed.

Key figures in the election included Vučić, who addressed supporters at his party headquarters, and Radomir Saičić, a Belgrade University professor speaking for the Student List, who declared, ‘Dear Serbia, tonight the voice of the people is being heard.’ The Guardian reports that celebrations erupted across Belgrade, with supporters chanting ‘Victory, victory!’ and police officers shaking hands with protesters. Dejan Bodiroga, a candidate on the Student List and EuroLeague Basketball president, told reporters that Serbia was voting to decide between ‘freedom and the return of a country that has been hijacked,’ framing the election as a choice between past and future.

While both sources agree on the core outcome, they differ in emphasis and detail. The ABC focuses on Vučić’s 14-year tenure and the immediate trigger of the protests, while the Guardian provides broader context, including the estimated 150,000 attendees at the Student List’s final rally and concerns over election irregularities such as ballot photographing, vote-buying, and carousel voting. The Guardian also highlights the election’s place within a global trend of 10 pivotal days of elections, contrasting authoritarian and pro-democracy forces. The ABC, however, does not mention these broader geopolitical implications or the specific election irregularities reported by the Guardian.

The immediate aftermath of the election saw Vučić’s swift concession, which the Guardian compares to Viktor Orbán’s recent admission of defeat in Hungary six months prior. Both outlets agree that the Student List’s victory represents a seismic political shift, but the Guardian suggests it may also reverberate across Europe, adding momentum to youth-led protests. The ABC does not explore this international ripple effect but underscores the domestic significance of the turnout and the Student List’s anti-establishment campaign slogan, ‘Serbia or Mafia?’ The unresolved question, as noted by the Guardian, is whether Vučić will seek to retain influence despite his electoral defeat, though both sources agree the election marks the end of his dominance.