Serbia election: Vucic concedes defeat to student-led movement

Serbia's long-standing leader, Aleksandar Vucic, conceded defeat to a student-led movement in Sunday's parliamentary elections, marking a significant political shift. The election saw high turnout and escalating tensions, pitting Vucic against a coalition of university students who had been protesting against him for nearly two years.

SNS, Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party, had ruled the country for over a decade. Despite pre-election polls indicating a close race between the SNS and the Students' List, Vucic's party conceded defeat, acknowledging that "we lost these elections." Celebrations erupted in Belgrade as supporters of the student movement celebrated their victory.

The result stems from a series of protests following a deadly train station collapse in Novi Sad in 2024, which led to 16 deaths and allegations of corruption and poor construction standards. The student movement, which gained broad support from various sectors of Serbian society, challenged Vucic's long-standing rule and sought to bring accountability to public infrastructure projects.