Serbia's students jubilant after snap election win

Serbia’s student-led movement secured a decisive victory in Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections, ending fourteen years of dominance by the right-wing populist party of Aleksandar Vucic. The 56-year-old former prime minister conceded defeat less than two hours after polling stations closed, acknowledging that the Students’ List would secure between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member parliament. His Serbian Progressive Party is projected to receive approximately 105 seats. This outcome concludes nearly two years of mass protests initiated by the 2024 collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station, an accident that killed sixteen people and was widely attributed to systemic corruption. The election marked a historic shift in the Balkan nation, drawing the highest voter turnout in more than three decades. By 6:00 p.m., two hours before the deadline, election officials reported that nearly 65 percent of the country’s 6.4 million registered voters had cast their ballots. This figure surpassed the turnout of the 1993 parliamentary election, when just over 61 percent participated. Earlier in the day, pollsters CeSID and Ipsos estimated turnout at 27.3 percent by mid-morning, nearly double the 15.1 percent recorded at the same time during the previous election in 2023. Independent monitors noted that lines snaked from polling stations in cities and towns across the country, with even Vucic waiting nearly two hours to vote. Celebrations erupted immediately following Vucic’s concession. In Belgrade, tens of thousands of people flooded the streets, with cars honking, crowds chanting, and fireworks illuminating the skyline. Supporters raised three fingers, a gesture representing the Students’ List’s ballot number and a traditional Serbian greeting. At the movement’s headquarters, candidates and staff embraced, wept, and chanted “Victory, victory!” Radomir Saicic, a university professor and candidate for the list, addressed the crowd, stating that Serbia had won as promised and urging peaceful celebrations. He emphasized that the immediate task was to build a country where the law applies equally to everyone. Mirjana Nikolic, a candidate and rector of the University of Arts, described the moment as the realization of a two-year dream, paying tribute to the young protesters who made the success possible. In other parts of the country, jubilant scenes unfolded in cities including Novi Sad, where the protest movement originated. Crowds gathered in public squares and near parliament buildings. In Belgrade, groups of hooded men dressed in black exited a pro-government encampment that had occupied a city park opposite parliament for months. Protesters entered the park, dismantling remaining tents and setting one on fire, though no clashes were reported. Trucks carrying riot police were observed leaving the city center as crowds waved and cheered. Vucic, who has maintained close ties with Russia throughout his tenure, blamed foreign interference for the result. In a speech to supporters, he claimed the election validated a revolution supported directly by various European countries and the United States “deep state,” which he described as opposing President Donald Trump. He stated plainly that his party had lost, attributing the outcome to external forces rather than internal policy failures. Prior to the vote, Vucic had pledged higher pensions, increased public sector salaries, and continued investment in state healthcare. He had also sought closer ties with China, a major investor, while maintaining relations with Russia, Serbia’s primary natural gas supplier, despite expressing a desire to join the European Union. The Students’ List comprises 250 candidates, many of whom are political novices with backgrounds in academia, the arts, agriculture, and medicine. The list is led by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, though it remains unclear who will assume the role of prime minister if they form a government. The movement emerged from student blockades and marches that expanded to include teachers, farmers, and other sectors of society. Protests accused the government of allowing corruption and political patronage to compromise public safety, allegations the authorities previously denied. The demonstrations represented some of the largest in Serbia since the fall of strongman Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. International reactions focused on the potential for democratic reform. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the Students’ List, stating readiness to support reforms regarding the rule of law, media freedom, and the fight against corruption to advance Serbia’s EU accession process. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos also extended congratulations. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who defeated Vucic’s close ally Viktor Orban in April, expressed delight at the Serbian result. Magyar noted that his own victory in Hungary had provided strength to the Serbian students during their struggle. He assured the new leadership of his country’s support. The snap elections were called by Vucic in September after he resigned from his second term as president to run for prime minister. Under Serbia’s constitution, he was barred from seeking a third presidential term, which was scheduled to expire in May 2027. Critics had long accused Vucic of concentrating power, undermining independent media, and weakening democratic institutions, claims his party consistently rejected. The election was framed by the student movement as a referendum against Vucic, offering the first realistic prospect of political alternation since 2012. While the domestic agenda focuses on rooting out graft and improving schooling, the movement has remained relatively quiet on specific international alignment strategies beyond general statements. The transition of power now shifts focus to the formation of a new government and the implementation of promised institutional changes.