Vucic concedes defeat in Serbian parliamentary elections
Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic has conceded defeat in parliamentary elections to a student-led protest movement. The result marks a significant shift in Serbian politics, ending years of populist rule following widespread public dissatisfaction.
Why it matters
This transition represents a major democratic shift in the Balkans and may influence future student-led political movements across Europe.
Serbia's Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat to a student-led protest movement in a historic election today that ends his long grip on power and heralds a new political era in the Balkan country.
Mr Vucic, a populist and nationalist, has dominated Serbian politics as prime minister or president since 2014.
But he called snap elections in September after almost two years of student-led demonstrations against perceived corruption and creeping authoritarianism triggered by the deaths of 16 people when a train station canopy collapsed in the city of Novi Sad in 2024.
"It is clear that we have lost these elections, the Student List has won," Mr Vucic said in a televised speech.
Within moments of his announcement, the streets of Belgrade erupted in celebration before the crowd swelled into the tens of thousands, with cars honking, people dancing and students shouting "victory" and "he's done".
Headlinne story · 8 newsrooms
Aleksandar Vucic Concedes Parliamentary Election to Student Opposition Movement
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