Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The elections saw the biggest turnout in over 30 years.
After twelve years in power, Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat on Sunday night following a historic parliamentary election.
According to projections from pollsters CeSID and Ipsos, the opposition Student List is set to claim 138 seats in the 250-seat parliament. That gives them a clear working majority. In contrast, Vučić’s right-wing Serbian Progressive Party secured only 104 seats, as reported by The Guardian.
Speaking late on Sunday before the official count was certified, the defeated leader addressed his party faithful in Belgrade. “On the basis of a sample … it is clear that we have lost these elections, the Student List has won, they will have between 135 and 140 seats and we will have 105,” Vučić said.
Midnight in Belgrade
Outside, the capital turned into an open-air carnival. Thousands poured into central Belgrade to wave flags, hug strangers, and honk car horns well into the night. A decade of fear melted away.
At student headquarters, supporters wept with relief as chants of victory echoed down the corridors. “Dear Serbia, tonight the voice of the people is being heard,” said Radomir Saičić, a professor at Belgrade University, speaking on behalf of the students at their headquarters in comments reported by Reuters. “Tonight we celebrate victory, tomorrow we build the future.”
Turnout reached 67.6 percent on Sunday. Monitored by CeSID and Ipsos, it marked the highest voter participation since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992.
The revolt began in November 2024, when a concrete railway canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, killing 16 people. Relentless student rallies erupted over corruption and slipshod construction. By fielding untainted candidates from lecture halls to rural farms, the youth coalition turned a local tragedy into an unstoppable democratic wave.
A massive blow to Putin
The election results reverberate far beyond Serbia’s borders, landing heavily in Moscow. For years, Vučić served as Vladimir Putin’s most crucial and reliable ally in the region. As neighboring countries steadily integrated into NATO and aligned their foreign policies with the European Union, Serbia remained the last major pro-Russian holdout in the Balkans.
Under Vučić’s leadership, Belgrade maintained a delicate geopolitical balancing act. While officially pursuing EU membership, his government adamantly refused to join Western sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Moscow relied heavily on this sympathetic relationship to project influence in Southern Europe, secure lucrative energy deals, and keep the Western Balkans politically fragmented.
The decisive victory of the Student List—a movement deeply rooted in anti-corruption, democratic reform, and European alignment—threatens to permanently sever this historic lifeline.
With Vučić ousted, the Kremlin effectively loses its most influential partner in the region.
