Aleksandar Vucic has conceded defeat to a student-led protest movement in Serbia, marking the end of his long-held power after a historic election on Sunday. Following his announcement, celebrations erupted in the streets of Belgrade, with honking cars and students chanting “victory” and “he’s done.”
The snap elections followed nearly two years of student protests against corruption and authoritarianism, which intensified after a fatal train station canopy collapse in Novi Sad that claimed 16 lives in 2024.
Radomir Sajcic, a professor at Belgrade University representing the students, declared, “Tonight we celebrate victory, tomorrow we build the future.” Voter turnout was nearly 70%, the highest since the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992, as citizens expressed a strong desire for change.
Vucic acknowledged the results, stating, “It is clear that we have lost these elections, the Student List has won,” predicting they would secure between 135 and 140 seats, while his party, the SNS, would have around 105. According to preliminary results, the student candidates are likely to occupy 138 seats in the 250-seat parliament.
Celebrations continued in Belgrade, with one woman, Tanja, expressing her happiness: “I am so happy I cannot speak.”
Despite the joyous mood, tensions grew during the voting process. Police in riot gear cordoned off areas around electoral commission headquarters in Belgrade. Reports of violence surfaced throughout the country, particularly near a park where Vucic’s supporters had camped for over a year.
A student representative urged voters to “stay calm and composed” during a news conference shortly before the polls closed. This election marked a significant challenge to Vucic, who has faced little opposition in his 14 years in power, as the youth movement united against him.
This student victory also resonates with recent events in Hungary, where youth involvement helped unseat the long-serving autocrat Viktor Orbán and usher in a pro-European government. The trend of youth-led protests is likely to influence broader political landscapes across Europe.
Voters formed long queues at polling stations from early morning, with local election monitors reporting high participation. In Belgrade, Vucic queued for nearly two hours with his wife before casting his ballot, expressing hope for a peaceful election and respect for the outcome, saying, “The will of the people is the will of God: vox populi, vox dei.”
If defeated, he vowed to accept the electoral outcome, stating, “If we lose, we will recognise the electoral will. If we win, no one will take it away from us.”
