In brief
Aleksandar Vučić has publicly admitted defeat in Serbia’s snap parliamentary election, ceding the contest to a student‑led protest movement that surged in the autumn. Preliminary counts from the election commission showed a record turnout, with many voters turning out to support the newly mobilised student bloc. The elections were called in response to widespread protests following the 2024 collapse of a Novi Sad train‑station canopy that killed 16 people, a tragedy blamed on systemic corruption and negligence. Celebrations erupted on Belgrade’s streets as students chanted “victory” and honked cars. Added to the political shift, Serbia’s political climate is expected to undergo significant adjustments amid the protest movement’s newfound authority.
Serbia's long‑standing leader Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat to the student‑led protest movement in the country's snap parliamentary election.
"We still do not have final results... it is clear that we have lost these elections," the right‑wing populist leader said late on Sunday.
Preliminary figures from Serbia's election commission recorded a record‑high turnout, a pattern commentators linked to benefiting the student movement.
Vučić called the snap elections after two years of protests sparked by the 2024 collapse of a train‑station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 and highlighted nationwide corruption and negligence.
He announced the decision at the Serbian Progressive Party headquarters in Belgrade.
Celebrations erupted on city streets, with cars honking and students chanting “victory”.
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