Serbian elections Maarten Wolterink

The youth of Serbia triumph against Vučić

Published on 27 October 2026
Serbian elections Maarten Wolterink

In Serbia, the youth are declaring victory. The Student List won 140 of 250 seats (52.65% of votes) in the parliamentary elections on 25 October, roundly beating the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), led by former President Aleksandar Vučić, which won 103 seats (39.22%). The Student List, which has no designated leader, is a diverse coalition of civil society representatives, including doctors, athletes and experts in a variety of fields.

The election marks the end of twelve years of rule by Vučić, an authoritarian leader with close ties to the Kremlin. Vučić resigned on 27 September, under pressure from protests that had persisted for nearly two years.

The student movement emerged in 2024 in the wake of the Novi Sad railway station disaster, in which the collapse of a canopy killed 16 people. Outrage over the tragedy – and the corruption that allegedly caused it – swept the country, and gave rise to the peaceful, anti-corruption and anti-government movement that is now coming to power.

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