Vucic accepts election defeat after 12 years in power; Student List takes 52% of votes

Aleksandar Vucic, who has held power in Serbia for 12 years, accepted his defeat in early general elections held on Sunday, announcing that the Student List had emerged victorious. With 56 percent of votes counted, the Student List received 52 percent, while the SNS list led by Vucic garnered 39 percent.

Vucic stepped down from the presidency before the election to become a prime ministerial candidate; having been elected president twice consecutively in 2017 and 2022, Vucic claimed the result was the product of a "foreign-backed process" and declared that his party would continue its struggle in opposition.

The student movement was ignited on November 1, 2024, when a concrete canopy collapsed at Novi Sad train station, killing 16 people; protests lasting approximately two years since that day have steadily increased pressure on Vucic and his government.

Academician Radomir Saicic, who delivered the victory speech on behalf of the Student List, thanked all voters and said they would begin building the future. How the student movement, which operates outside the traditional party structure, will manage the government-formation process remains unanswered.

The Serbian State Election Commission (RIK) announced a turnout of 67.6 percent as of 7 p.m.; domestic media noted that this figure could exceed the previous record of 58 percent from 2023 elections. On election day, masked groups were reported to have attacked citizens with batons at some polling stations, and in a violent incident in Lazarevac, two police officers were wounded according to Serbia's Interior Ministry.