Serbia's Student List wins 52.54% of vote, ending Vučić era

Serbia's Student List took 52.54% of the vote in Sunday's snap parliamentary election, the Republic Election Commission announced Monday, defeating former President Aleksandar Vučić's United Serbia list, which secured 39.29%.

Voter turnout reached 68.78%, a record high in more than 30 years, according to commission data.

The Student List is projected to win 140 seats in the 250-seat parliament, well above the 126 needed for a majority. United Serbia is expected to hold 103 seats. The remaining seats are set to go to the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, the Albanian political bloc and two smaller lists.

The movement emerged from nearly two years of youth-led protests that began after 16 people died in a railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad in 2024. Demonstrations demanding accountability expanded into a broader campaign against alleged corruption and democratic backsliding under Vučić, who had dominated Serbian politics for more than a decade.

The Student List's electoral programme prioritises fighting corruption and organised crime, raising living standards, improving education and securing media freedom. The movement also pledged to improve relations with neighbouring countries.

Faculty of Medicine professor Ilija Srdanovic, who led the campaign, is now considered the most likely candidate for prime minister, though no formal announcement has been made. The movement has consistently avoided singling out individual leaders.

Under Serbian law, the new National Assembly must convene within 30 days of final results being certified. A government must then be formed within 90 days — though the Student List's outright majority removes the need for coalition negotiations.