Student List Claims 53 Percent Victory to End Serbian Strongman Rule

The Student List, a coalition of students, academics, and professionals, won 53 percent of the vote in Serbia's parliamentary election, securing 141 of the 250 seats in the national assembly. This result ended the 14-year political dominance of Aleksandar Vučić, who conceded defeat late Sunday. The victory marks a decisive shift in the western Balkans nation, where the movement now holds a clear mandate to restructure the government.

The Serbian Progressive Party, led by Vučić, captured 39 percent of the vote and 103 seats. The remaining seats went to national minority party lists. With 100 percent of ballot samples counted, the Centre for Free Elections and Democracy in Belgrade confirmed the landslide win. Supporters took to the streets in Belgrade on Monday to celebrate the outcome, which followed two years of anti-government protests. Those protests were originally sparked by the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station, an incident that killed 16 people.

The Student List operates without a central hierarchy or a single designated leader. Its candidates included cardiologist Ilija Srdanović, former central bank governor Dejan Šoškić, and Belgrade University chemistry professor Radomir Saičić. This structure creates uncertainty regarding who will be appointed as prime minister and who will fill cabinet roles. The group relies on collective decision-making, a method that has drawn scrutiny for its speed and efficiency.

Ana Mirković, a university educationist and psychology candidate, described the mandate as a historical debt rather than a gain of privilege. She stated that the movement's first priority is the social and psychological detoxification of the country. Mirković said the new administration intends to dismantle a system of intimidation by urgently opening up the media and ending pressure on public-sector workers. The platform focuses on full disclosure of all contracts and financial flows to ensure state capture is prevented in the future.

The proposed policy agenda includes creating an independent police unit accountable to prosecutors rather than the interior ministry. The movement also plans to purge police officers linked to organized crime and ban the appointment of party loyalists to state-owned companies. These measures aim to restore the rule of law and curb the misuse of public funds through new independent bodies that will scrutinize major state infrastructure contracts.

The movement deliberately kept foreign policy issues in the background during the campaign. This approach contrasts with the previous administration's close ties to Russia. The Kremlin expressed hope on Monday that the new leaders understand that cooperation with Russia is in Serbia's interests. Analyst Dušan Vučićević noted that the movement insisted on addressing domestic political issues first, specifically the dismantling of institutions from the national to the local level. He observed that while the grassroots democracy model secured over 50 percent of the vote, it remains unclear if a similar structure could function in other countries.

Nikola Burazer, programme director at the Belgrade-based Centre for Contemporary Politics, said the decision-making process needs to be sped up. He noted that the candidate selection process took months and that the focus must shift from celebration to the practical formation of the government. Burazer remarked that only 24 hours ago, the scenario seemed like a fantasy, but the reality now demands a clear structure for the new cabinet.

International leaders responded with welcome on Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the result a new chapter in Serbian history and thanked Serbia for respecting Ukrainian independence. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Berlin would actively support Serbia's European path, praising the students' demand for rule of law and fundamental freedoms. Vučić, who maintained close ties with Russia during his tenure, blamed his party's defeat on the direct support of various European countries and the US deep state.

Serbia's constitution requires the new parliament to convene within 30 days of the official election result. A 90-day deadline then begins for the formation of the new government. The country must also hold new presidential elections before 27 December, as Vučić stepped down from his presidency to run for prime minister.