Serbia’s Vučić concedes defeat as student-led list wins snap election
Aleksandar Vučić, who has dominated Serbian politics for more than a decade, conceded defeat in Sunday’s snap parliamentary election to a list backed by a student-led protest movement, the BBC and The Guardian reported. Results are still preliminary, but projections point to a majority for the Student List in the 250-seat parliament.
The concession: “It is clear we have lost these elections,” Vučić told supporters at his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) headquarters in Belgrade, the BBC reported. He said the Student List would have 135 to 140 seats and his list 105, according to The Guardian. Final results have not yet been announced.
The projections: Pollster CeSID projected 52.9% of the vote for the students, with turnout of 69.34%, the BBC reported. A CeSID-Ipsos sample put the Student List at 138 seats and SNS at 104, The Guardian reported. The two outlets cite different turnout figures taken at different times, and the seat counts are estimates.
How it started: The movement grew out of protests after a concrete canopy collapsed at Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, killing 16 people, The Guardian reported. Vučić resigned the presidency last month to call the snap election, according to The Guardian, while the BBC reported that he could not seek a third presidential term and aimed to return as prime minister.
What comes next: Attention now turns to who will lead the Student List as prime minister, and presidential elections are due in December, the BBC reported. European Commissioner Marta Kos said “the door to the EU is open,” according to the BBC. Independent monitors reported irregularities on election day, including suspected vote-buying, The Guardian reported.