{
  "id": 16837722,
  "title": "Serbian opposition landslide exposes cost of EU’s bet on ousted Vučić",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/serbian-opposition-landslide-exposes-cost-of-eus-bet-on-ousted-vucic",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-28T03:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Politico EU",
    "slug": "politico-eu",
    "url": "https://www.politico.eu/article/serbian-opposition-landslide-exposes-eu-bet-cost-aleksandar-vucic-outsted-belgrade/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Belgrade has lost its key interlocutor with the EU. The opposition Student List secured a landslide victory in Sunday's elections, ending Aleksandar Vučić's 12-year tenure as the EU's primary liaison in Serbia. For over a decade, every aspect of Serbia's accession process and trade negotiations necessitated passing through Vučić's hands. Jugoslav Gašić, a medical professor and soon-to-be MP, criticized Vučić for \"acting like the go-to person for everything while ignoring all the laws in the country, including the constitution.\" The Student List, largely composed of professors, doctors, and political novices, now holds an outright parliamentary majority. Their first priority will be reversing the rule-of-law rollbacks implemented by Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The party will also aim to reset Serbia's relationship with Brussels, arguing that the former leader managed the EU's engagement more as a transactional tool than a genuine path to EU membership. Gašić stated, \"Ultimately, [Vučić] always represented his own interests and not the interests of Serbia.\" The SNS did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Even among pro-Europeans in Serbia, Brussels' reliance on Vučić personally has left a bitter taste. Srdjan Majstorović, chairman of the European Policy Center (CEP), a think tank, emphasized that the EU can lose credibility and integrity if it ignores democratic backsliding in a country. A CEP data analysis revealed that 41.6% of citizens believe the EU prioritizes its own political and economic interests in the region over improving democracy and the rule of law. The Student List's election program positions the EU as Serbia's most crucial economic partner, pledging to deepen existing strategic partnerships while seeking closer bilateral ties with other European capitals. They do not explicitly seek EU membership as an immediate goal. Gašić expressed a desire for Serbia to prioritize its interests first in its relationship with the EU, rather than an exclusive approach. The movement originated from a mass protest over the 2024 railway station roof collapse that killed 16 people, which students blamed on corruption in state construction contracts. The protest quickly evolved into the largest Serbia had witnessed in decades. Despite the EU's muted response, the Student List is now poised to challenge the status quo and advocate for a more balanced relationship.",
  "summary": "The EU spent over a decade treating the Serbian strongman as indispensable. Now it needs to handle a skeptical incoming government.",
  "key_points": [
    "Student List wins landslide victory, ending 12-year Vučić tenure",
    "Opposition party holds outright parliamentary majority",
    "Serbia seeks balanced relationship with EU, not immediate membership"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The shift in Belgrade forces Brussels to confront the consequences of prioritizing personal liaisons over democratic integrity as the new majority seeks to move beyond transactional diplomacy.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}