According to preliminary estimates, the Student List is expected to win between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member parliament. Aleksandar Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) would secure about 105 seats. Voter turnout approached seventy percent, the highest since the breakup of Yugoslavia over 35 years ago.
Victory
Following the concession, revelers flooded the streets of Belgrade. Drivers honked their horns, supporters embraced, and the chant 'Victory!' echoed repeatedly outside the Student List headquarters. Elsewhere in Serbia, the results were celebrated exuberantly.
The election outcome marks the culmination of nearly two years of student protests. They began after the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad train station in November 2024, which claimed sixteen lives. The disaster sparked widespread outrage over alleged corruption and inadequate government oversight.
Broader Protest
Initially, the students demanded an independent investigation and political accountability. However, their protests grew into a nationwide movement against the government. Teachers, farmers, and other social groups joined. Ultimately, the demonstrators forced early parliamentary elections.
As recently as Thursday, an estimated 150,000 people demonstrated in Belgrade in support of the Student List. Vučić, who had dominated Serbian politics since 2012, resigned as president in September to run for prime minister.
Interference
The election campaign in Serbia was tense. Civil society organizations warned beforehand that conditions for free and fair elections were lacking. Vučić accused the student movement of foreign interference. After his defeat, he directed similar accusations at European countries and opponents of Donald Trump in the US.
Pro-Moscow
The change of power is also attracting international attention. Serbia seeks accession to the European Union, but relations are complicated by concerns over corruption, press freedom, and democratic institutions. The student movement presents itself as an alternative to Vučić's administration.
However, a different stance towards Russia is not guaranteed. Vučić maintained close ties with Vladimir Putin and refused to impose sanctions on Moscow. The Student List likewise opposes such measures. Therefore, a new Serbian government does not automatically mean a change in foreign policy.
