Vučić, who has ruled as either Prime Minister or President since 2014, publicly conceded defeat following the close of polls on Sunday. Addressing supporters, the leader of the SNS acknowledged the outcome: “It is clear that we have lost these elections.” The vote represented a massive mobilization of the Serbian electorate, with turnout reaching approximately 67.6% as of 19:00, a significant increase from the 58% recorded in the 2023 elections. According to the State Election Commission (RIK), this is the highest participation level in over three decades, driven by a population of more than 6.4 million registered voters.
The political realignment was catalyzed by a series of protests that began in November 2024 after a train station canopy collapsed in the city of Novi Sad, killing 16 people. What started as grief and outrage over the tragedy evolved into a sustained, two-year movement against corruption and institutional decay. The movement, which included university professors, doctors, and workers, coalesced into the Student List, a platform explicitly committed to tackling graft, depoliticizing public institutions, and restoring civil rights. During the campaign, the movement was fronted by Ilija Srdanovic, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad, and other prominent figures such as movement spokesman Radomir Saicic.
While the Student List campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption and democratic renewal, Vučić characterized the demonstrators as “blockaders” attempting to destabilize the state. In his political rhetoric, the longtime leader had maintained a position of pragmatic alignment with both the European Union and Russia, while also deepening ties with China and Israel. However, the election results suggest that a significant portion of the electorate rejected this trajectory. Bojan Vranić, a professor of Political Science at the University of Belgrade, described the outcome as an “extraordinary historical moment in Serbian parliamentary democracy” that fundamentally alters the country’s political landscape.
The transition to power was not without turbulence. The election day was marred by reports of violence and irregularities at various polling stations. Serbian media reported incidents where masked groups attacked citizens exiting polling centers, and the Interior Ministry confirmed that two police officers were injured in clashes in Lazarevac, where protesters threw stones and hazardous materials. Despite these disruptions, the final tallies indicated that four other parties also crossed the threshold to enter the parliament, though the Student List’s mandate is unambiguous.
The Student List’s victory has already begun to reshape regional diplomatic dynamics. In Montenegro, President Jakov Milatovic and Prime Minister Milojko Spajic congratulated the new leadership, with Milatovic stating that the victory would open a “new era” in relations with Serbia. Conversely, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reactions were mixed. While Defense Minister Zukan Helez suggested the win could redirect bilateral relations, Milorad Dodik, the president of the entity of Republika Srpska (RS), emphasized that the RS would continue its close dialogue with Serbia, reflecting the complex ethnic and political ties that remain a central challenge for the new government.
In Belgrade, the mood on Sunday night was one of jubilation rather than protest. Tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets, halting trams and congestion on main boulevards. Celebrities, students, and professionals gathered in the capital’s squares, celebrating what many viewed as the defeat of a authoritarian regime. “That is the best thing that happened in my life. We will now breathe freely,” said one law student in Belgrade. At Student List headquarters, candidates—many of whom are lawyers, professors, actors, and farmers—celebrated their unexpected ascent from opposition figures to governance.
Despite the festive atmosphere, the task ahead is formidable. The Student List is a disparate coalition of 250 candidates with varying backgrounds, now tasked with steering a country of six million people through economic and political transformation. While the previous administration oversaw a period of strong economic growth under Vučić, the new government faces the immediate challenge of implementing its campaign promises of institutional reform and corruption eradication. The coming weeks will see the formal constitution of the new parliament, where the Student List will likely seek to form a government, marking the end of an era and the beginning of an uncertain but potentially transformative chapter for Serbia.
