Serbia’s long-serving leader Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat on Sunday following snap parliamentary elections that marked a significant political shift in the Balkan country. Vucic, who has governed Serbia either as president or prime minister for more than a decade, acknowledged that the opposition coalition known as the Student List had secured a majority, ending his 12-year rule.

The Student List, a grassroots movement formed largely in response to a controversial collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024 that killed 16 people, had captured widespread public support. The tragedy sparked nearly two years of protests led predominantly by students, who criticized Vucic’s administration for corruption and cronyism. These protests galvanized other sectors of Serbian society and built momentum for change.

According to Vucic’s statement made before official results were formally released, the Student List received approximately 2.2 million votes, compared to the 1.7 million votes for his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The opposition is projected to hold around 140 seats in the 250-seat parliament, outstripping the SNS’s expected 105 seats. Voter turnout was notably high, approaching 70 percent, the highest since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.

Celebrations erupted across Belgrade and other Serbian cities as crowds sang, danced, and expressed relief at the end of Vucic’s tenure. The Student List comprises a broad array of candidates, including academics, teachers, farmers, doctors, and musicians, and is seen by many analysts as a fresh and diverse alternative to the long-established ruling party.

Vucic, who maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and whose government resisted Western sanctions on Russia, characterized his defeat as a “revolution fueled by European countries and the American deep state.” He accused independent media and foreign interference of influencing the election outcome but vowed to remain in Serbia and not contest the results in court, aiming to avoid unrest.

The Student List, however, signaled reforms focused on rooting out corruption and increasing transparency. Leading figures on the list, including former central bank governor Dejan Soskic, emphasized plans to reform public contracting, strengthen the judiciary, and free the media from government control. The coalition has also proposed creating a dedicated police unit to assist prosecutors in investigating alleged corruption during Vucic’s administration and recovering state assets.

Despite hopes among European observers that the new government would pivot away from Russia-aligned policies, the Student List has expressed opposition to sanctions on Moscow, reflecting lingering public sentiment rooted in the hardships Serbia endured during the Balkan wars in the 1990s.

The election day itself saw heightened tensions, with police deployed in riot gear around central Belgrade and reports of violent incidents and threats against student party observers at polling stations. Nonetheless, the vote proceeded with a high level of public engagement, signaling strong demand for political change.

The results represent the most consequential electoral outcome in Serbia since the fall of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000 and may have broader implications for the Balkans and European geopolitics as Serbia navigates its future direction.