The downfall of Serbia’s Vučić mirrored Hungary’s Orbán in striking ways
Opposition groups shared methods
The Tisza party in Hungary and Serbia’s Student List differ in structure: Tisza is built around its leader, while Serbian students say they have no leadership. Yet opposition organizers in both countries relied on voter mobilization and election monitoring.
Hungarian activists held workshops for Serbian students during the summer, sharing methods from Hungary’s election. Péter Klemm, a student activist from Subotica, told the BBC that his team filmed groups of masked men near polling stations on election day.
Two leaders concede defeat
Orbán and Vučić had each been in office for many years and were widely seen as difficult to dislodge. The account says both had taken control of state institutions and built business empires spanning the two countries.
Vučić acknowledged defeat at 21:30 on a Sunday, matching the time Orbán conceded on 12 April. The article says few observers expected either leader to accept defeat peacefully. Vučić denied speaking with Orbán before his announcement but acknowledged a later conversation; Orbán declined the BBC’s request for comment.
Political and business ties
The leaders met in northern Serbia last November and shared ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik. They also discussed business, including a planned Hungarian purchase of Serbia’s Nis oil refinery.
The article reports that Hungarian companies close to Orbán were involved in the Novi Sad railway station project. The station’s canopy collapsed on 1 November 2024, killing 16 people; corruption and negligence were blamed, and the disaster helped spark Serbia’s student movement.
Similarities, and questions ahead
The Student List is set to hold 140 seats in Serbia’s 250-seat parliament, while Péter Magyar’s Tisza party won 140 of Hungary’s 199 seats. Orbán said it was good to hear that Tisza’s story could inspire other nations.
There has been speculation that Orbán urged Vučić not to use force in a phone call on election day, but the account does not establish that. It also says both leaders, aged 63 and 56 respectively, may face prosecution for corruption and abuse of power.
Key points
- Hungarian opposition activists shared election-monitoring methods with Serbian students.
- Both leaders conceded defeat after long periods in office.
- The Novi Sad station collapse killed 16 people and helped trigger Serbia’s student movement.
- Speculation about an Orbán call to Vučić remains unconfirmed.