Students win Serbian parliament by wide margin

The Student List won 52.54 percent of the vote in Serbia’s snap parliamentary election, according to the Republic Election Commission. This result allows the movement to form a government without partners. The win ends the political dominance of Aleksandar Vucic, who held power for over a decade.

The bloc is projected to hold 140 seats in the 250-seat parliament. That number exceeds the 126 mandates needed for a majority. The United Serbia list, led by Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party, took 39.29 percent of the vote. It is expected to win 103 seats. Remaining seats are allocated to the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, the Albanian political bloc, and two smaller Sandzak lists.

Voter turnout reached 68.78 percent. The election commission identified this as the highest participation rate in more than 30 years. These figures were based on 8,077 processed polling stations out of a total of 8,392. The final official result has not yet been announced.

The movement’s rise began after a tragedy in 2024. A railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, killing 16 people. Youth-led protests followed, demanding accountability for the accident. The demonstrations shifted into a campaign against corruption and the control of democratic institutions. The Student List’s September electoral programme listed fighting organised crime, raising living standards, and improving education as its main goals.

Ilija Srdanovic led the campaign as a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Novi Sad. He is a cardiologist and is now the likely candidate for prime minister. The movement did not name a specific candidate during the campaign. It avoided promoting single individuals to emphasize its collective nature, which includes academics, doctors, and workers. It remains unclear who will lead the ministries of internal affairs, finance, and justice.

The new National Assembly must be established within 30 days of the final results being announced. A government must be formed within 90 days of that establishment. The Student List’s clear majority removes the need for lengthy coalition talks. This timeline allows for a faster transition of power compared to previous elections in Serbia.

Vucic resigned as president on September 27. He called for the snap parliamentary vote in September. Ana Brnabic, the current president of the National Assembly, holds the presidential post temporarily. She is required to call an extraordinary presidential election. That vote must be held no later than December 27, three months after the end of Vucic’s mandate.

The Serbian president is elected directly by citizens. The role is largely ceremonial. Vucic previously served as prime minister and then as president since 2014. The Student List said it would work to improve relations with neighboring countries. This follows a period of tension during Vucic’s rule.