Student-Led Movement Ends Vucic’s Era in Serbia’s Snap Election
The Student List won Serbia’s snap parliamentary elections, securing 52.54 percent of the vote and ending the decade-long political dominance of Aleksandar Vucic. The youth-led movement now holds a projected 140 seats in the 250-seat parliament, granting it a clear majority to form a government without coalition partners, Al Jazeera reported.
Vucic, who dominated Serbia’s politics since 2014, conceded the defeat. He stated that it is clear his party lost the elections, the BBC reported. This shift follows two years of mass protests sparked by the 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. What began as a demand for accountability for that disaster evolved into a national campaign against institutional corruption and the capture of democratic organs.
Student List secures majority over United Serbia
The Republic Election Commission (RIK) announced Monday that the Student List captured 52.54 percent of the vote, based on 8,077 of 8,392 processed polling stations. Voter turnout reached 68.78 percent, the highest level in more than 30 years, according to RIK data.
The United Serbia list, led by Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), secured 39.29 percent of the ballots. The BBC noted that the students received 2.24 million votes compared to 1.67 million for the former ruling party.
| Political Bloc | Vote Percentage | Projected Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Student List | 52.54% | 140 |
| United Serbia (SNS) | 39.29% | 103 |
The European Council on Foreign Relations noted that the Student List has largely displaced the established democratic opposition, such as European Serbia, which struggled to clear the 3 percent electoral threshold.
Ilija Srdanovic emerges as likely Prime Minister
The Student List did not name a specific candidate for prime minister during the campaign, choosing instead to emphasize a collective leadership of doctors, academics, and workers. However, Ilija Srdanovic, a cardiologist and professor at the University of Novi Sad’s Faculty of Medicine, is now viewed as the most likely choice for the premiership, Al Jazeera reported.
While the leadership of the movement is clear, the composition of the cabinet remains unknown. There is currently no confirmation on who will lead the ministries of justice, finance, or internal affairs.
The movement’s platform focuses on fighting organized crime, raising living standards, and ensuring the independence of state institutions. They have also pledged to repair diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, which faced tension during Vucic’s tenure.
Timeline for government formation and presidential vote
The path to a new government follows a strict legal window. The new National Assembly must be established within 30 days of the final results. Once the assembly is seated, a government must be formed within 90 days.
The presidency remains in a state of temporary leadership. Ana Brnabic, the president of the National Assembly, is currently holding the post following Vucic’s resignation on September 27. Because the president is elected directly by citizens, Brnabic must call for an extraordinary presidential election which must be held no later than three months after the end of Vucic’s mandate (December 27).
The presidency is largely ceremonial, but the timing of the vote will determine when the state returns to full constitutional normalcy.
Reports of repression and digital surveillance
The election occurred against a backdrop of alleged state intimidation. Reuters reported that activists and students claimed they were beaten or threatened leading up to the vote. Marko Marjanovic, a social media commentator, described being held in solitary confinement by masked officers in a police station basement.
Digital surveillance was also a primary concern. The SHARE Foundation reported in September that 14 individuals were targeted with advanced spyware. Jelena Kontic, a member of the protest movement, stated that forensic tests by the Canadian cyber watchdog Citizen Lab confirmed the presence of Pegasus spyware on her phone.
“They had access to your entire life,” Kontic said.
These allegations of repression are reflected in international rankings. The 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders ranked Serbia 104th out of 180 countries, the lowest ever and the worst in the EU-Balkan region, Reuters reported. Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index gave Serbia its lowest score in two decades.
EU seeks to reset ties with Serbia
The shift in power comes at a volatile time for Serbia’s relationship with the West. The European Council on Foreign Relations noted that ties between the EU and Serbia have been problematic since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, primarily due to failures in meeting democratic standards and the rule of law.
The EU has struggled to apply conditionality to the enlargement process. With a student-led government now in power, European officials are looking to reset these ties. The European Commission has previously highlighted the need for upholding the rule of law as a prerequisite for progress.
Vucic’s departure marks the end of an era that began with his role as information minister in the late 1990s under Slobodan Milosevic. While Vucic later pivoted toward the European Union, the new government faces the immediate task of proving that the “capture” of democratic institutions can be reversed.
The finality of this transition will be tested on December 27, the deadline for the presidential election, which will determine if the Student List’s parliamentary victory translates into a total mandate for systemic change.
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