Student List Secures Parliamentary Majority, Ending Vucic’s Fourteen-Year Rule

In the snap parliamentary election on 25 October, Serbia’s leaderless Student List defeated the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) led by Aleksandar Vucic. Vucic conceded defeat less than two hours after polls closed, prompting celebratory scenes in Belgrade. Preliminary figures from the Republic Electoral Commission on 26 October showed the Student List obtaining a clear majority in the 250-seat National Assembly.

Serbia’s Student Movement Ousts Longtime Leader in Parliament Poll

The movement arose after a canopy collapse at a renovated railway station in Novi Sad in November 2024, killing 16 people. The disaster, blamed on corruption, sparked the country’s largest anti-government protests since the fall of Slobodan Miloševic. Demonstrators demanded transparent investigations, judicial independence and an end to SNS dominance, eventually coalescing into the Student List—a coalition of candidates from academia, the arts and civil society with no formal leader.

Serbia’s Student List wins majority, now comes the hard part: governing

• Vote share: Republic Electoral Commission reported 52.65 % for the Student List and 39.22 % for the Vucic-United Serbia coalition. TV World cited 52.71 % for the Student List.

World Leaders React to Serbia’s Student List Election Victory

• Seats: Both sources agree the movement secured 140 seats in the 250-member parliament, enough for an outright majority.

Serbia’s Student Movement Ousts Longtime Leader in Parliament Poll

• Turnout: Preliminary data indicated a turnout of 68.78 %, the highest parliamentary participation in more than three decades.

Serbia’s Student Movement Ousts Longtime Leader in Parliament Poll

• Opposition: The Socialist Party of Serbia received roughly 2.17 % of the vote, falling below the electoral threshold.

World Leaders React to Serbia’s Student List Election Victory

• Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, pledged EU support for reforms on the rule of law, media freedom and anti-corruption measures.

Serbia’s student movement faces challenges after election victory

• Peter Magyar, Prime Minister of Hungary, said he had spoken directly with Student List leaders and expressed “delighted” support for their victory.

Serbia’s Student Movement Ousts Longtime Leader in Parliament Poll

• Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, welcomed the result as a chance to deepen bilateral cooperation.

World Leaders React to Serbia’s Student List Election Victory

• Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, acknowledged the election while praising Vucic’s contribution to Russian-Serbian relations and expressed hope that he would continue to support those ties from opposition.

World Leaders React to Serbia’s Student List Election Victory

The incumbent’s opposition narrative claims external actors, rather than domestic discontent, drove the electoral outcome.

World Leaders React to Serbia’s Student List Election Victory

• Vote share discrepancy: The 52.65 % figure differs from TV World’s 52.71 % estimate, illustrating slight variation in early reporting.

World Leaders React to Serbia’s Student List Election Victory

• Government formation: The constitution requires the new parliament to convene within 30 days of final results, followed by a 90-day deadline to form a government. The final seat allocation remains pending completion of the official electoral process.

Serbia’s Student List wins majority, now comes the hard part: governing

• Presidential election: Vucic’s resignation in September triggers a separate presidential election before year-end, a development not yet detailed in the preliminary reports.

Serbia’s student movement faces challenges after election victory

• “Now comes the hard part. Governing a country is difficult.” — Michael Carpenter

Serbia’s Student List wins majority, now comes the hard part: governing

• “A two-year-long dream has come true,” — Mirjana Nikolic

Serbia’s Student Movement Ousts Longtime Leader in Parliament Poll

Parliament must meet within 30 days of final certification, after which the Student List has a 90-day window to assemble a governing coalition. A presidential election, required after Vucic’s resignation, is slated for later in the year, setting the stage for further political realignment. International partners have signaled readiness to assist Serbia’s reform agenda, but the movement’s lack of experienced politicians presents a substantive challenge to translating its anti-corruption platform into actionable policy.

Serbia’s student movement faces challenges after election victory