Serbia votes in historic election as students seek to end Vucic's long grip on power

Live updates

1. 2h ago

   Serbia Leader Vucic Concedes Defeat to Student Movement

   Longtime Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in a snap parliamentary election following a record high turnout at the polls. Speaking at his campaign headquarters in Belgrade before final official results were available, Vucic acknowledged that a stratified sample indicated the student-backed list secured between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-seat parliament. His own coalition trailed behind with approximately 105 seats. The unexpected concession marks a seismic political shift and ends years of absolute power for the populist leader.

   Why it matters

   The snap parliamentary elections were called by Vucic in September following nearly two years of continuous student-driven demonstrations against creeping authoritarianism and corruption. This leaderless grassroots movement mounted the most significant challenge to his rule in more than a decade. International analysts view the outcome as the end of an era for the Balkan country's political landscape.

   What is confirmed

   • Serbian voters turned out in record numbers for Sunday's snap parliamentary election.
   • Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat to the student-led opposition movement before final official results were available.
   • Vucic stated that a stratified sample showed the student-backed list winning between 135 and 140 of the 250 parliamentary seats.
   • Vucic's coalition is projected to win around 105 parliamentary seats.

   What to watch next

   • Final official results from the parliamentary election
   • Formation of the new government by the student-led movement
   Sources used for this update (15)

   1. The Washington Post — Opinion | How a leaderless student movement could topple Serbia’s autocrat
   2. Reuters — Serbia votes as students seek to unseat Vucic in snap election
   3. BBC — Early reports suggest record high turnout in Serbia elections
   4. The Guardian — Serbia votes as strongman Vučić faces grassroots challenge to 12-year rule – Europe live
   5. Bloomberg.com — Serbian Longtime Leader Vucic Concedes Defeat in Snap Vote
   6. www.cnbc.com — Serbia leader Vucic concedes defeat to student-led movement
   7. www.nbcnews.com — Tracking the 2026 early vote
   8. www.cfr.org — Serbia Election Marks the End of an Era - Council on Foreign ...
   9. www.straitstimes.com — Serbia votes in historic election as students seek to end ...
   10. cyprus-mail.com — Serbia votes in historic election as students seek to end ...
   11. www.china.org.cn — Serbia's Vucic concedes election defeat as student-led movement claims victory - China.org.cn
   12. jen.jiji.com — Ukraine, EU close to approving 45 billion loan for 2027
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