Serbia's Vucic concedes defeat to student-led party in election

Speaking on Sunday (October 25), Vucic announced that preliminary results indicate the "Student List" opposition alliance will secure between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member parliament. His own party is projected to win 105 seats.

Although final official results have yet to be published, Vucic conceded: "It is clear that we have lost this election".

Following Vucic's concession, wild celebrations, cheers, and tears of joy erupted at the "Student List" headquarters, according to Belgrade-based news agency FoNet. Addressing supporters at the election office, Radomir Sajcic, a parliamentary candidate for the Student List, declared: "Preliminary results show that students are leading strongly in almost all polling stations".

He added that the students' victory signals a new chapter for Serbia, bringing renewed hope for a dignified nation.

The State Election Commission reported that voter turnout reached 64.9 per cent by 6:00 PM local time on Sunday, marking the highest voter participation since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992.

Despite high voter turnout, independent election observers reported voting irregularities. The Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID) logged nearly 260 reports of potential infractions by 5:00 PM, including photos of ballot papers, group voting, and difficulties with identity verification.

Following Vucic's concession, fireworks lit up the Belgrade sky as thousands of supporters took to the streets, honking car horns and crowding major thoroughfares across the capital.

Vucic called the snap election following nearly two years of sustained student protests. The demonstrations were triggered by the collapse of a railway station roof in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people.

The "Student List — Students Win" party is primarily composed of doctors, academics, and teachers, many with no prior political experience. Several established opposition parties refrained from fielding their own candidates, instead backing the student movement.

-SA