Serbia Election: Vucic Concedes Victory to Student Movement

Source reports published 25 Oct 2026, 3:32 pm – 26 Oct 2026, 7:35 am AEST

The student-led protest movement in Serbia defeated long-time leader Aleksandar Vucic in snap parliamentary elections. The victory followed two years of demonstrations sparked by a 2024 train station canopy collapse in Novi Sad.

What happened

• In Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, the country’s long-serving leader and president, conceded defeat to a student-led protest movement following snap parliamentary elections.
• Preliminary results indicated the Students’ List, backed by university students, would secure between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member Parliament, while Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) would hold approximately 105 seats.
• The election followed almost two years of sustained student-led demonstrations, initially triggered by the 2024 collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad, which resulted in the deaths of 16 people.
• These protests, fueled by accusations of corruption and authoritarianism, gained significant momentum, culminating in a record turnout of nearly 70% across the country.
• Radomir Sajcic, speaking on behalf of the students, declared, "Dear Serbia, tonight the voice of the people is being heard."
• Vucic, who had been endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and denounced the student movement as a foreign-led attempt to unseat him, made his concession at the headquarters of his SNS party in Belgrade, amidst scenes of celebration and widespread support.
• The seismic political shift marks the end of Vucic’s 14-year rule and signals a potential new era for Serbia.

Original reporting

• Deutsche Welle: Serbia election: Student movement seeks to end Vucic's rule
  2026-10-25T05:32:31.125000+00:00
• ABC: Breaking: Serbian president concedes defeat to student-led movement in election
  2026-10-25T21:06:44+00:00
• BBC: Serbia's Vučić concedes election defeat to student-led protest movement
  2026-10-25T21:01:59.019000+00:00
• Sky News: Pro-Russian Serbian leader concedes election defeat to student protesters
  2026-10-25T07:46:00+00:00
• PBS NewsHour: Serbia's strongman leader Vucic concedes defeat to student-led movement in seismic political shift
  2026-10-25T21:35:34+00:00
• France 24 English: Serbia's Vucic concedes defeat in historic snap election with record turnout
  2026-10-25T21:24:42+00:00