Serbia recorded its highest voter turnout since the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1992, with 67.6% to 69% of the electorate casting ballots in a snap parliamentary election that ended 14 years of rule by Aleksandar Vučić’s party, according to election monitors CeSID and Ipsos as reported by Reuters, Dnevnik.bg, and SegaBG.
Student List Secures Parliamentary Majority As Vučić Admits Defeat
Aleksandar Vučić conceded the parliamentary election after sample counts showed his Serbian Progressive Party trailing significantly behind the opposition, Reuters reported. The opposition formation known as the Student List captured between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-seat National Assembly, according to figures shared by Vučić. DW.com reported that polling data from Ipsos and CeSID placed the student movement at 52% of the vote, while the ruling party secured approximately 39.3% and roughly 104 to 105 seats. Minority parties, including Vojvodina Hungarians and Albanian representatives, also secured a small number of mandates.
Record Turnout Follows Two Years of Anti-Corruption Demonstrations
Sunday’s vote marked the culmination of nearly two years of student-led demonstrations against alleged corruption and creeping authoritarianism. The mass mobilization was originally triggered by the fatal collapse of a railway station roof in the city of Novi Sad in 2024, which claimed 16 lives. Long queues formed outside polling stations across cities and towns, driving total participation past the previous benchmarks set during the 2023 elections, where turnout stood at 58.77%, as noted by Dnevnik.bg.
Scenes from the streets of Belgrade. pic.twitter.com/mHGzNojrvY
Celebrations Fill City Streets Amid Tight Security Measures
Crowds flooded the center of Belgrade and other Serbian cities with songs, flares, and car horns following the concession speech, according to reports. Protesters gathered near key intersections chanting slogans associated with the student blockade. In contrast to the street celebrations, the central districts of Belgrade saw a heavy police presence. Reuters and Dnevnik.bg reported that authorities deployed gendarmerie vehicles around the Republican Electoral Commission amid warnings from the Student List regarding potential provocations from supporters of the ruling SNS party.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Serbian Election
How many seats does the Student List hold in the new parliament?
The Student List secured between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-seat National Assembly, according to figures acknowledged by Aleksandar Vučić.
What triggered the snap parliamentary elections called by Vučić?
The snap elections followed nearly two years of nationwide student protests sparked by the 2024 railway station roof collapse in Novi Sad that killed 16 people, as reported by Reuters.
What was the final voter turnout recorded on election day?
Election monitors CeSID and Ipsos recorded a turnout, marking the highest participation rate in Serbia since 1992, according to reports.
The MAGA influencers weren't enough to save Putin's favorite candidate in the Serbian elections.Vucic has just conceded. pic.twitter.com/DnvKj6eMC2
More on Aleksandar Vučić
People have gathered in central Belgrade to celebrate the defeat of Aleksandar Vučić and his party in the parliamentary elections.His party had been in power in Serbia for more than 14 years. pic.twitter.com/RLUIVfG2nU
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