Serbian Students Win 53% of Vote, Ending Years of Authoritarian Rule

Serbia’s Student List captured 53 percent of the vote in the October 25 parliamentary election, securing 141 seats in the new legislature. The result ended the political dominance of President Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party, which took 38.8 percent of the vote and 103 seats. Vučić conceded defeat at 9:35 p.m., marking a sharp break from the country’s recent political history.

The victory followed a turnout of 70 percent, a figure that analysts had identified as critical for the student movement. The Student List emerged from the "Students in Blockade" protests that began in 2024. The group operated without formal leaders, making decisions through horizontal plenary meetings. Its platform, the 11-point Student Plan, focused on fighting corruption and organized crime while proposing new measures in education, housing, and healthcare.

The list was not composed of students but of 250 academics and public figures chosen by student plenums. Cardiologist Ilija Srdanović served as the list’s head. He described his role not as a leader, but as the first name on the ballot. "I don’t think that the invitation to the Student List was an invitation to be a candidate for deputy in front of a political option, but literally an invitation to get involved in the endeavour of Serbia’s victory over the mafia," Srdanović said.

Vučić had spent years preparing for the vote. He recently stepped down as president to run for prime minister, a move that allowed him to remain in power while campaigning. During his tenure, he placed supporters in tents known as Ćaciland in Pionirski park, a tactic used to intimidate voters near the Parliament in Belgrade. He also relied on propaganda to label students as foreign agents.

Election day brought intense activity. Citizens lined up at polling stations from early morning. Observers reported numerous irregularities, including suspicions of vote buying. As the day progressed, men in black and balaclavas appeared in various parts of the country. Physical attacks on citizens and journalists were reported in several regions.

In Belgrade, at least 150,000 people gathered at Slavia square for a final rally. Student speakers called for a message of love and peace. One speaker noted, "Today is the last rally, and it’s important that we all come here to send a message of love and peace and that we see each other on the 25th at the polling stations."

After the results were confirmed, celebrations erupted across the country. Car horns blared and citizens filled the streets. In Belgrade, video footage showed men in black fleeing from the Ćaciland tents. Police watched as crowds dismantled the structures, which had become a symbol of Vučić’s governing style.

In his concession speech, Vučić suggested the victory was the result of a revolution supported by European countries and the American "deep state." He stated, "You’ve succeeded for the moment. But for how long? .. We will defeat this evil sooner than they think."

The Student List is now tasked with forming a government. The party is a voluntary, non-governmental, non-partisan, and non-profit association established for a fixed period. Its goals include greater youth participation in democratic processes and monitoring elections. The group aims to hold those who break the law accountable.

Croatian political analyst Žarko Puhovski commented on the outcome shortly after the polls closed. "In Serbia, it is very important for that regime to leave, because I really think that Vučić’s regime is not only autocratic, but has also caused damage to Serbia by primitivizing those parts of Serbia that were not primitivized even during Milosevic’s time," Puhovski said. The Student List will now begin the process of selecting a prime minister and forming a cabinet.