BELGRADE — Serbia's long-standing authoritarian leader Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat Sunday night. "It is clear that we have lost these elections, the Student List has won," Vucic said in a televised speech, less than two hours after polls closed.
Preliminary projections give the student-backed list 135-140 seats in the 250-member Parliament, against 105 for his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). No other list crossed threshold. The Students' List claimed 52% vote against SNS's 39.3%, according to Centre for Free Elections and Democracy-Ipsos.
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It is historic. Vucic, populist and nationalist, dominated Serbia as prime minister or president since 2014, endorsed by Vladimir Putin, close to Viktor Orban. He called snap elections in September after almost two years of student-led demonstrations against perceived corruption and creeping authoritarianism triggered by deaths of 16 people when a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in November 2024.
What began on university campuses turned into nationwide movement — professors, lawyers, actors, farmers, all standing as 250 unknown candidates. "Dear Serbia, tonight the voice of the people is being heard. Tonight we celebrate victory, tomorrow we build the future," said Radomir Sajcic, chemistry professor at Belgrade University, speaking for students.
Within moments of concession, Belgrade erupted. Tens of thousands thronged main boulevards, trams halted, cars honking, smoke thick, a man on a car waving a flare shouting "he's done." "That is the best thing that happened in my life. We will now breathe freely," said Milica, law student.
Turnout was highest in three decades — nearly 65% of 6.4 million voters by 6 pm, two hours before close, surpassing 1993 record.
Vucic blamed independent media, unnamed European countries and an American deep state. He said he would not flee or appeal to avoid unrest. "I am proud of everything we have done," he said, calling his downfall “a revolution fuelled by European countries.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos congratulated the Student List. The win is reminiscent of Viktor Orban's defeat in Hungary in April, and may offer blueprint for student movements across Europe protesting poor education standards and lack of prospects.
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Analytically, Serbia mirrors India's own 1974 JP Movement — students triggering moral crisis after infrastructure collapse. Like Bihar's chhatra andolans, Novi Sad canopy became symbol of rot — corruption in construction contracts. For India, which sees 50 million students in higher education, lesson is that apolitical anti-corruption protests can become electoral vehicle if they field credible faces — professors not career politicians.
For Balkans, student victory changes EU enlargement math. Serbia, candidate since 2012, was drifting to Russia-China. Student list is pro-EU, pro-rule-of-law. For New Delhi, which has defence ties with Belgrade and non-aligned legacy, change means navigating EU-facing Serbia.
Tomorrow, 250 student-backed candidates must turn protest into governance — hardest exam.
*Tags:* #Serbia #StudentList #AleksandarVucic #Belgrade #NoviSad #StudentProtest #SNS #Balkan #Authoritarianism #JPmovement