Student List Tops Serbian Vote as Vucic Admits Defeat

Aleksandar Vucic, who has dominated Serbian politics for over a decade, conceded defeat in Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections. The Student List, a political platform born from student-led protests, is projected to win between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member assembly. Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party will take approximately 105 seats, according to exit polls.

Vucic addressed his supporters after initial results emerged, stating, "It is clear that we have lost these elections." The vote marked a turning point for the country, with voter turnout reaching its highest level in more than 30 years. The Student List emerged as the strongest force after nearly two years of demonstrations against Vucic’s administration.

The movement gained momentum following a tragedy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, when a train station canopy collapsed and killed 16 people. The incident sparked youth-led protests that evolved into a broader social movement. Ilija Srdanovic, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad, led the group during the campaign. The Student List campaigned on a platform to fight corruption, depoliticize public institutions, and restore citizens' rights.

Vucic, who became president in 2017 and won re-election in 2022, had been under increasing pressure from the demonstrators. He referred to the protesters as "blockaders" and accused them of attempting to destabilize the country. In September, Vucic resigned as prime minister and called for early elections, a decision that allowed him to remain a dominant influence over state policy until the vote.

The economic record of Vucic's tenure is a central part of the political debate. Unemployment dropped from 26 percent to between 8 and 9 percent, and nominal GDP nearly tripled to roughly 90 billion euros. Foreign direct investment rose from 800 million euros in 2012 to a record 5.2 billion euros in 2024. However, critics argue that higher wages did not always translate into improved living standards, and public debt remains a point of contention.

Journalist Safeta Bisevac noted that Vucic, who founded the Serbian Progressive Party in 2008, established extensive control over the state apparatus during his time in power. Bisevac said the party fulfilled few of its promises to fight corruption while widening its grip on the media and institutions. Vucic’s political career dates back to the 1990s, when he joined the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party.

Political scientist Dusko Radosavljevic described the election results as a reflection of public sentiment. He said the students gave voice to the justified anger of citizens and countered a decade of what he termed systematic pressure and the destruction of social institutions. Radosavljevic added that intelligence services spent significant time monitoring political opponents during this period.