Serbian Election: Student List Seizes Majority as Vucic Concedes

Aleksandar Vucic lost the Serbian parliamentary vote to a student-led coalition on Sunday. The former president and leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) admitted the defeat to supporters. He stated, "It is clear that we have lost these elections." Initial vote samples show his party winning 105 of 250 seats. The Student List is projected to capture between 135 and 140 seats.

The Student List emerged from a specific tragedy. On November 1, 2024, a train station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, killing 16 people. Ilija Srdanovic, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad, led the resulting protests. The movement grew into a political platform focused on fighting corruption and restoring citizen rights. Vucic had labeled the demonstrators, who included doctors and professors, as "blockaders" attempting to destabilize the country.

Voter participation reached its highest level in more than 30 years. This surge in engagement marked a sharp break from previous voting patterns. The high turnout signaled strong support for the new political force. It also reflected deep dissatisfaction with the governing party that had dominated Serbian politics for over a decade.

Vucic has been a central figure in Serbian politics since 1993. He began his career in the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party. In July 1995, he told parliament, "Kill one Serb, and we will kill 100 Muslims." This statement came nine days after the Srebrenica genocide. His political partner, Vojislav Seselj, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2018. Seselj's son Aleksandar appeared on Vucic's electoral list in the recent vote.

The SNS took power in 2012 after Vucic and Tomislav Nikolic founded the party in 2008. They aimed to shift the party toward mainstream European politics. Journalist Safeta Bisevac noted that Vucic was initially less popular than Nikolic and served as the party organizer. The party promised to fight corruption and organized crime upon entering government. Bisevac described the results as modest while the authorities expanded their control over institutions and media.

Vucic served as first deputy prime minister from 2012 to 2014. He then became prime minister and later president in 2017. He won re-election in 2022, with his term set to end in 2027. Pressure from the protests forced him to resign in September. He called for early elections while maintaining influence over state policy. Bisevac said Vucic made many promises but fulfilled few, establishing near-complete control over the state apparatus.

Official data shows the economy grew during Vucic's tenure. Unemployment dropped from 26 percent to between 8 and 9 percent. Nominal GDP nearly tripled to about 90 billion euros. Annual foreign direct investment rose from 800 million euros in 2012 to a record 5.2 billion euros in 2024. The government built a network of modern motorways. However, higher wages did not always match rising living costs, and public debt remains a key issue.

Political scientist Dusko Radosavljevic stated that the students gave voice to justified citizen anger. He described the past decade as a period of systematic pressure on social institutions. He added that intelligence services monitored political opponents extensively. Critical thinking was pushed out of public media during this time.