Serbia's Vucic concedes defeat in historic election win for student protest movement

Belgrade, October 26 — In a historic turn of events, Serbia’s student-led movement declared victory in yesterday's parliamentary elections, effectively ending 14 years of rule by Aleksandar Vucic's right-wing populist party. The snap vote followed nearly two years of anti-government protests triggered by the 2024 collapse of a canopy at Novi Sad railway station, which killed 16 people and was widely attributed to corruption.

The movement, known as the Students' List, claimed preliminary results showed it leading in nearly all polling stations. "Students won and with them also a hope that Serbia can be a country of justice, freedom and dignity," Radomir Saicic, a Students' List candidate, proclaimed at the movement's election headquarters. Vucic conceded defeat less than two hours after polls closed, leading to jubilant celebrations in the capital among supporters.

The election saw a remarkable 65% turnout, the highest in over three decades. Vucic blamed foreign powers for the result, claiming it was the validation of a revolution supported by various European countries and the US. Despite his defeat, Vucic retained close ties with Russia. The Students' List, composed mainly of political novices from academic and artistic fields, emerged from demands for a transparent investigation into the Novi Sad tragedy to calls for early elections.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar congratulated the Students' List on their victory, pledging support for reforms on the rule of law, media freedom, and corruption.