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Aleksandar Vucic Concedes Defeat in Serbian Election
- Serbia
- Aleksandar Vučić
- Serbian Progressive Party
- Belgrade
- Novi Sad
- Russia
- European Union
- Balkans
What happened
Serbia's longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat on Sunday in a parliamentary election won by the Students' List, a movement that grew out of nearly two years of student-led protests. Vucic said his party projects the students will take 135 to 140 of Parliament's 250 seats, compared with about 105 for his Serbian Progressive Party.
Summary
After 14 years at the center of Serbian politics, Aleksandar Vucic admitted Sunday night that his Serbian Progressive Party had lost. Speaking about an hour and a half after polls closed, he said his party's projections gave the Students' List between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member Parliament, against about 105 for his side. He put the vote at roughly 2.2 million for the students and 1.7 million for his party. Bloomberg reports the students took 53% of the vote. Vucic blamed Serbia's independent media, unnamed European countries and an "American deep state" for the loss, without offering evidence. [1] [2] [3] [5] [6] [7] [9]
Tens of thousands of mostly young people filled central Belgrade, honking horns and chanting "Aleksandar is gone" as they celebrated. The movement began after a train station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in November 2024. Most outlets say 16 people died; CNN reports 15. Protesters blamed corruption for the collapse. Dijana Hrka, the mother of one of the victims, sobbed in the crowd and said she now expects that "they will all be held accountable" for it. No students ran themselves. The candidates are little-known experts, farmers, athletes and artists. Vucic had resigned the presidency last month to run for prime minister. [1] [2] [3] [4] [6] [10] [11]
Official results had not yet been announced when Vucic conceded. According to Axios, the Student List must now pick a prime minister and form a government, and Serbia will hold a separate presidential election in December. Marta Kos, the European commissioner for enlargement, said a new chapter can begin for Serbia, a candidate for membership: "The door to the E.U. is open" and Europe is ready to move forward. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised Vucic's contribution to ties with Russia, adding "it takes two to tango" in comments on the new government. Independent monitors reported dozens of election-day irregularities, including photographed ballots and attempted vote buying. [2] [4] [9] [12]
Summary written by Vox Populi News from the 12 sources below. See all sources
Key questions
Who won Serbia's 2026 parliamentary election?
The Students' List, a movement shaped by university students, won. Vucic projected it would take 135 to 140 of 250 seats, compared with about 105 for his Serbian Progressive Party. [2] [3] [4] [6] [12]
Why did students protest against Vucic?
The protests began after a train station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in November 2024, killing 16 people by most counts. Protesters blamed corruption and later broadened their demands to accountability, media freedom and restoring democracy. [2] [4] [11] [12]
What happens next in Serbia?
According to Axios, the Student List must choose a prime minister and form a government, and a separate presidential election is set for December to replace Vučić. [12]
Sources 12
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1The New York TimesRead on The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
Aleksandar Vucic Concedes Defeat in Serbian Election
"It is clear that we have lost these elections," Aleksandar Vucic said in a surprisingly early speech congratulating his opponents.
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2AolRead on Aol (opens in a new tab)
Serbia's strongman leader Vucic concedes defeat to student-led movement in seismic political shift
The long-serving strongman leader of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, has conceded defeat in an election that pitted him and his right-wing party against a diverse student-led opposition movement that spent…
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3CNBCRead on CNBC (opens in a new tab)
Serbia's strongman leader Vucic concedes defeat to student-led movement in seismic political shift
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic delivers his resignation speech during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Belgrade on Sept. 27, 2026.
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4Washington PostRead on Washington Post (opens in a new tab)
Serbian students surge to power with defeat of strongman leader Aleksandar Vucic
In the country's election Sunday, the win went to candidates backed by a student protest movement, less than a year after the defeat of Hungary's Viktor Orban.
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5NewsweekRead on Newsweek (opens in a new tab)
Pro-Trump leader blames 'American deep state' after election defeat
The long-serving president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, has alleged interference from abroad and the "American deep state" for his election defeat to a student-led opposition movement.
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6CBS NewsRead on CBS News (opens in a new tab)
Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's Putin-endorsed long-time leader, concedes election defeat in major political shift
The long-serving strongman leader of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, conceded defeat on Sunday in an election that pitted him and his right-wing party against a diverse student-led opposition movement that…
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7Bloomberg BusinessRead on Bloomberg Business (opens in a new tab)
All About the Serbian Student Movement That Ousted Leader Vucic
The morning after the surprise defeat of longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian voters still didn't know who will replace him.
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8HuffPostRead on HuffPost (opens in a new tab)
Serbia's Strongman Leader Vucic Concedes Defeat To Student-led Movement In Seismic Political Shift
Serbia's long-serving strongman leader, Aleksandar Vucic, has conceded defeat. BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) -- The long-serving strongman leader of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, conceded defeat on Sunday in an…
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9AP NEWSRead on AP NEWS (opens in a new tab)
Serbia's political veteran Vucic outplayed all opponents. Then came the students
People celebrated in the streets of Belgrade on Sunday after Serbia's long-serving leader, Aleksandar Vučić, conceded defeat in the parliamentary election to a student-led opposition movement.
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10U.S. News & World ReportRead on U.S. News & World Report (opens in a new tab)
Belgrade in Rapture as Serbian Students Topple Vucic in Historic Election
By Edward McAllister, Kirsten Donovan and Aleksandar Vasovic BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Trams and traffic halted by crowds.
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11CNN InternationalRead on CNN International (opens in a new tab)
In Serbia, a very different student movement just ousted another European strongman
Another one of eastern Europe's authoritarian leaders has been vanquished by an upstart movement, with Serbia's long-term president Aleksandar Vucic unexpectedly losing out to a student-led campaign.
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12AxiosRead on Axios (opens in a new tab)
Student movement topples Serbia's longtime ruling party
* Vučić's outreach has included the president's son Donald Trump Jr. and longtime ally Richard Grenell, while a proposed development involving Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner became embroiled in…
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