Serbia woke on Monday to a new political era after a student-backed list won a commanding victory in Sunday's parliamentary election, ending Aleksandar Vucic's long dominance. With almost 99% of votes counted, the students' candidates took 52.7% of the vote, against 39.2% for Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party-led alliance, Reuters reported. That gave the Student List 139 seats in the 250-seat parliament.

From protest to parliament

The result caps almost two years of peaceful protests that began after 16 people died when a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in 2024. Demonstrators demanded accountability and an end to corruption, and the movement became the strongest challenge Vucic had faced since he became prime minister in 2014. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Belgrade to celebrate after Vucic conceded defeat late on Sunday.

The harder question begins now

The movement has no single leader and its 250 candidates — academics, lawyers, doctors, actors, farmers and musicians — have little or no governing experience. Who becomes prime minister, what the government's exact policies will be, and whether a leaderless movement can hold together in office are all still unanswered. Reuters-quoted analysts warned bureaucratic resistance and inexperience could complicate reforms centred on anti-corruption and public services.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the Student List and said the EU stood ready to support reforms on the rule of law, media freedom and corruption. Celebration, in other words, is not government — and Serbia's new majority will be judged on whether it can turn a protest movement into a working administration.

Source: Reuters