- Serbia's President Alexander Vučić conceded defeat on Sunday after polls closed, ending over a decade in power
- A coalition of 250 professionals backed by student councils ran on a platform of rule of law, media freedom and anti-corruption
- Voter turnout surged to 67.8%, well above the 58.8% recorded in the 2023 general elections
Serbian President Alexander Vučić conceded defeat on Sunday, 26 October, bringing to a close a 12-year grip on power that human rights organisations had long described as authoritarian.
Source: Getty Images
Vučić released a concession statement within hours of polling stations closing, acknowledging that results analysis confirmed his defeat and that candidates backed by the student movement had secured a majority of seats.
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The outcome was delivered by the Student List, a political coalition born from a grassroots protest movement but composed not of students themselves, rather a slate of 250 professionals chosen by student councils.
The group included university professors, doctors, farmers and actors, led by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic. Their campaign centred on restoring the rule of law, protecting media freedom, eliminating corruption and reviewing previous government agreements.
The coalition captured between 135 and 140 of the 250 seats in the National Assembly, equivalent to roughly 52.9% of the vote, giving it an outright majority. Celebrations broke out across the country, with residents of multiple Serbian cities filmed dancing in the streets.
"Never again to tyranny in our country," Srdanovic declared following the result.
How did Serbian students end President Vučić's regime?
The roots of the movement stretch back to November 2024, when a railway station canopy in the northern city of Novi Sad collapsed, killing 16 people and injuring others.
Students held the government accountable for what they characterised as negligence born of corruption, and protests spread across the country in the months that followed.
By May 2025, student organisers announced their intention to contest the next election, throwing their support behind professionals who shared their vision for a democratic Serbia.
The resulting Student List became one of the most consequential political interventions in the country's recent history.
Independent election monitors CRTA recorded voter turnout of 67.8% by 7 p.m. on polling day, a near-record figure and a sharp increase from 58.8% in the 2023 general elections, reflecting the intensity of public feeling heading into the vote.
Why did Serbian voters kick out President Vučić?
Vučić had served as prime minister from 2014 to 2017 before transitioning to the presidency, a role he held until stepping down in September to lead his party into the election campaign.
During his tenure, Sweden-based research institute V-Dem classified Serbia as an electoral autocracy, while Washington-based Freedom House rated it only "partly free."
The country's press freedom record drew particular international scrutiny. Reporters Without Borders, which named Vucic a "press freedom predator" in 2025, ranks Serbia 104th globally for media freedom, the lowest position of any country across the European Union and the Balkans.
Source: TUKO.co.ke