developing· Politics· Updated 25 Oct, 23:36

Serbian President Vucic Concedes Election Defeat After 14 Years

Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat on Sunday in snap parliamentary elections, ending his party's 12-year rule. The "Students' List," a political movement born from two years of mass anti-corruption protests, secured a parliamentary majority. Vucic, who resigned the presidency in September to run for prime minister, acknowledged his party's loss shortly after polls closed.

8 newsrooms · 3 languages · since 25 Oct, 22:40

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Serbian President Vucic Concedes Election Defeat After 14 Years — Illustration by baba

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What happened

01Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in Sunday's snap parliamentary elections, ending his party's 12-year rule.
02The opposition "Students' List" secured a parliamentary majority, projected to win between 126 and 140 seats in the 250-seat legislature.
03Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party lost its majority, securing between 104 and 105 seats in the election.
04Voter turnout was exceptionally high, with estimates reaching up to 70%, the highest since 1992.
05The "Students' List" emerged from two years of mass protests sparked by a November 2024 train station roof collapse in Novi Sad that killed 16 people.
06The opposition movement, composed of professionals like doctors and academics, ran without a single declared leader, though Haaretz named cardiologist Ilija Durdevic as its head.
07Vucic, a strong ally of Israel who maintained close diplomatic and defense ties, resigned the presidency in September to run for prime minister.

The election saw exceptionally high voter turnout, with estimates ranging from 64.9% to nearly 70%, the highest since Yugoslavia's dissolution in 1992. The "Students' List" is projected to win between 126 and 140 seats in the 250-seat parliament, while Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party secured around 104 to 105 seats. The opposition movement, composed of academics, doctors, and other professionals, ran without a single declared leader, though Haaretz reported that cardiologist Ilija Durdevic heads the list.

The political shift follows nearly two years of student-led demonstrations sparked by a November 2024 concrete roof collapse at a train station in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. Protesters blamed the tragedy on government corruption in infrastructure projects. Vucic, a prominent right-wing populist, has been a strong ally of Israel, maintaining close diplomatic ties and defense cooperation, leaving the future of Serbia's foreign policy under the new government to be closely monitored.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 8 newsrooms. Updated 25 Oct, 23:49