Russian-friendly Vucic concedes defeat to student protest movement in Serbian election

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in parliamentary elections to a student-led protest movement on October 25. According to Vucic, the Students List party, supported by the protest coalition, is set to secure between 135 and 140 seats in Serbia's Parliament. The Serbian Progressive Party, led by Vucic, came in second place with 105 seats.

The student-led demonstrations against Vucic's right-wing Serbian Progressive Party had been ongoing for nearly two years, fueled by alleged government corruption and a train station collapse in Novi Sad that killed 16 people in 2024. Vucic resigned as president on September 27, allowing him to run as prime minister in the October parliamentary elections.

This election, which saw the highest voter turnout in Serbia since the country's independence from Yugoslavia in 1992, marks a significant political shift, potentially moving Serbia away from Russia and its ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The results echo recent elections in Hungary, where populist leader Viktor Orban was defeated in a landslide.