Student protest movement claims historic win as Vucic is defeated in Serbia election
Election brings a shift
Aleksandar Vucic acknowledged that his side had lost Sunday’s snap election, while saying the Student List had won. He based his estimate on preliminary results. A representative sample from CESID-IPSPS projected 138 deputies for the student candidate list and 104 seats for Vucic’s SNS party. Ethnic national minority parties are expected to share the remaining seats in the 250-member parliament.
Protests preceded the vote
The election followed nearly two years of demonstrations led by students. Protesters raised concerns about perceived corruption and what they saw as creeping authoritarianism. The demonstrations began after a canopy at a train station in Novi Sad collapsed in 2024, killing 16 people.
Students look ahead
At the students’ headquarters, Belgrade University professor Radomir Sajcic spoke on their behalf and welcomed the result. He said, “Tonight we celebrate victory, tomorrow we build the future.” Sajcic also said the people’s voice was being heard. The result ends Vucic’s long grip on power and opens a new political era in Serbia.
Key points
- Vucic conceded defeat in Sunday’s snap election in Serbia.
- CESID-IPSPS projected 138 seats for the Student List and 104 for Vucic’s SNS.
- The 250-seat parliament will also include ethnic national minority parties.
- The student-led protests followed the 2024 Novi Sad station canopy collapse, which killed 16 people.