53%: Student List Seizes Power in Serbia

The Student List has won 53% of the vote in Serbia, a result that projects 141 seats in the 250-seat parliament and ends the 14-year political dominance of Aleksandar Vučić. The Centre for Free Elections and Democracy in Belgrade released the final tally after counting all ballot samples on Monday. This outcome marks a sharp reversal of power in the Western Balkan nation.

Vučić, who served as president before seeking the prime ministerial office, conceded his defeat late on Sunday. His concession followed a two-year period of intense anti-government protests that began after a canopy collapsed at the Novi Sad railway station, killing 16 people. His party, the Serbian Progressive Party, received 39% of the vote, securing 103 seats. The remaining seats in the legislature were allocated to lists representing national minorities.

The winning coalition is structured without a formal hierarchy, a design choice that leaves questions unanswered about who will occupy the prime minister's chair. The list includes academics, actors, and farmers alongside students. Key figures in the movement include Ilija Srdanović, a cardiologist who headed the candidate list, and Dejan Šoškić, a former central bank governor. Radomir Saičić, a chemistry professor at Belgrade University, addressed the public following the victory.

Ana Mirković, a university educationist and candidate for the list, stated that the group views the win as a responsibility rather than a privilege. She described the first priority of the new administration as the social and psychological detoxification of the country. Mirković told The Guardian that the movement aims to dismantle a system of intimidation that fostered fear and polarisation. Her plan includes urgently opening up the media and ending pressure on public-sector workers.

The Student List's platform focuses on restoring the rule of law and fighting corruption. Specific proposals include creating an independent police unit accountable to prosecutors rather than the interior ministry. The coalition also intends to purge police officers linked to organised crime. Furthermore, the list aims to ban the appointment of party loyalists to state-owned companies and to subject major state infrastructure contracts to scrutiny by new independent bodies.

The new government faces the challenge of managing public institutions staffed with civil servants loyal to the outgoing regime. A similar situation occurred in Hungary when Péter Magyar’s Tisza party ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule earlier this year. Dušan Vučićević, an analyst, noted that the student movement insisted on addressing domestic political issues first. He described the effort as the literal dismantling of institutions from the national to the local level.

International leaders have reacted to the shift in power. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, called the result a new chapter in the country's history. He expressed gratitude for Serbia's respect for Ukraine's independence and wished the nation success in its development. Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, stated that Berlin would actively support Serbia's path toward Europe. He said the students' demand for the rule of law and fundamental freedoms had reached the people.

Serbia's constitution requires the new parliament to convene within 30 days of the official election result. The government must then be formed within 90 days of that parliamentary session. The country is also required to hold new presidential elections before December 27, as Vučić stepped down from his previous role to run for prime minister.