Aleksandar Vucic Concedes Defeat to Student-Led Movement in Serbian Parliamentary Election

Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have held power in Serbia for more than a decade. Vucic served as prime minister starting in 2014 and assumed the presidency in 2017. His second presidential term ends in May 2027. The Serbian constitution prohibits him from seeking a third term. Public sentiment shifted after a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in November 2024. The collapse killed 16 people. Protests followed the incident. These demonstrations challenged the Serbian Progressive Party in the October 2026 election.

1. The student-led movement is projected to win between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member parliament. Aleksandar Vucic confirmed these projections on October 25, 2026. He conceded the election on that same day.

2. Voter turnout reached nearly 70 percent. This represents the highest participation rate in Serbia since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992. The election commission reported these figures after the October 25, 2026, vote.

3. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the Student List on its election victory. Peter Magyar defeated an ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Hungary. He also congratulated the movement.

4. The election followed nearly two years of student-led demonstrations. Protesters focused on corruption and authoritarianism within the government.

1. The Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA) monitored 500 polling stations during the election on October 25, 2026. The organization recorded pressure on voters or election workers at nearly one-third of those locations.

2. Aleksandar Vucic blamed independent media for his electoral loss. He also alleged interference from unnamed European countries and the American deep state. Vucic made these claims on October 25, 2026, after conceding the election.

3. Aleksandar Vucic urged his supporters to avoid violence after conceding the election. During a public address on October 25, 2026, he warned against potential killings.

4. Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party ruled for more than a decade before this defeat. Aleksandar Vucic resigned from the presidency in September 2026 to run for prime minister. The Serbian Progressive Party now faces a transition out of power after years of dominance.