Serbia: Belgrade celebrates recognised defeat of Vučić against the Student List

The announcement of the defeat of Aleksandar Vučić camp was accompanied by horns, flags and sympathizers' rallies on Sunday evening in Belgrade. On 25 October 2026, the former President of Serbia acknowledged the student list's victory in the early parliamentary elections, while noting that the final results were not yet available. Africanews, RFI, BBC and Balkan Insight report this same announcement and the political shift it draws after fourteen years of dominance of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). [S1] [S7] [S9] [S10]

A recognized victory, mandates still to be confirmed

At his party headquarters, Vučić announced that his opponents would win between 135 and 140 seats, compared with about 105 for his camp. These projections would give the Student List a majority in a 250-member Parliament. Reuters, taken from ABC News, reports a separate estimate giving 138 seats on the student-supported list and 104 seats on the SNS, while the rest belong to national minority parties. The figures thus converge on the political outcome, without constituting a definitive distribution of mandates. [S7] [S10] [S14]

Balkan Insight also reports provisional estimates from the independent CRAT organization: 51.5 per cent for the Student List and 40.2 per cent for the Vučić list. The election commission plans to publish the results gradually as minutes are processed. The concession of the leader thus precedes the completion of the electoral procedure. [S10]

This is a legislative election, not a presidential one. Despite the name "president" still used in some reports, RFI states that Vučić had resigned from the presidency in September after announcing the election, with the aim of returning to the post of Prime Minister. The composition of the next government is not yet established in the available information. [S7] [S14]

From Novi Sad to the ballot box

This evening of celebrations comes after almost two years of protest. The movement was born of the collapse in November 2024 of an awning at Novi Sad station, which killed sixteen people. Protesters denounced alleged corruption and asked the authorities for accounts before demanding early elections. The authorities rejected the accusations that corruption and clientelism had compromised infrastructure security. An electoral victory alone does not relieve judicial responsibilities in this disaster. [S1] [S7] [S18]

Part of the universities, the mobilization has won teachers, farmers and other citizens. The Student List brings together candidates from several professions, including doctors, academics, artists and athletes. It therefore represents a broader coalition than the students, gathered against the outgoing power. [S9] [S18]

According to the BBC, its programme plans to involve those responsible for violating the rules in the repression of demonstrations, to put an end to the control of public enterprises by party members and to free the public broadcasting from political control. For citizens, these commitments directly affect freedom of expression and access to pluralistic information. However, they remain promises, the application of which will have to be assessed separately from the announced victory. [S9]

Vučić and the SNS deny charges of corruption. Their campaign promised, among other things, increases in public pensions and wages, as well as investments in health. After his defeat, Vučić also accused European countries and an American "deep state" of supporting his opponents; the records cited do not provide evidence of these charges. [S9] [S10]

Strong participation, but alerts about free choice

According to the election commission, participation was 64.9 per cent at 6 p.m., while the end-of-day estimate was about 70 per cent. These figures correspond to different times of the election. Historical comparisons differ: Africanews evokes a record since 1992, when Associated Press reports an expected mobilisation without equivalent since 2000. The strong influx is converging; the precise qualification of the record requires more caution. [S1] [S10] [S19]

CRATA reported pressure on voters, barriers to the work of office staff, and photographs of ballots, all of which were alerts about the confidentiality and freedom of voting. On the contrary, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Vladimir Dimitrijević, described mainly minor and generally resolved incidents. Their impact on the national outcome is not established. [S10]

The security of journalists was also questioned: Balkan Insight reported the assault of two reporters in Pavlovac and the arrest of two suspects. In Belgrade, students called on residents to avoid areas where police presence was strengthened. The publication of results and the handling of incidents are still essential for institutional translation of voters' choices. [S10] [S16]