‘We changed the system’: how Serbian students ended Alexander Vučić’s 12 years in power

Live updates

1. 2h ago

   Serbian Students End Aleksandar Vučić's 12-Year Rule

   Serbia's student-led movement, known as the Student List, has won a historic election, ending Aleksandar Vučić's 12-year rule. The Student List secured 141 of the 250 seats in parliament, defeating Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party which took 104 seats. This seismic shift was fueled by months of protests against corruption and authoritarianism. The student movement, without a standalone leader, fielded candidates from across Serbian society.

   Why it matters

   This development marks a significant change in Serbia's political landscape, where Vučić had dominated for over a decade. The student-led protests began in response to a deadly railway station collapse in Novi Sad in 2024, eventually leading to snap parliamentary elections. The outcome has left Vučić's party, the Serbian Progressive Party, in opposition.

   What is confirmed

   • The Student List won 141 of the 250 seats in parliament.
   • The Serbian Progressive Party, led by Aleksandar Vučić, took 104 seats.
   • The student movement has no standalone leader and fielded candidates without political experience.
   • The protests were sparked by a deadly railway station collapse in Novi Sad in 2024.
   • A record number of voters turned out to end Aleksandar Vučić's longstanding dominance of Serbian politics.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The student movement is considering a Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.

   What to watch next

   • Formation of a new government in Serbia
   • Reaction of the international community to the election results
   • Future protests or actions by the student movement
   Sources used for this update (20)

   1. Reuters — Serbia's new leaders face host of tough challenges
   2. CNN — In Serbia, a very different student movement just ousted another European strongman
   3. www.theguardian.com — Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić ousted by student movement in ...
   4. Foreign Policy — After Serbia's Elections, Its Student Protesters Deserve a Nobel Peace Prize
   5. The New York Times — Serbian Students, Victorious and Leaderless, Go After the Media
   6. The Conversation — ‘We changed the system’: how Serbian students ended Alexander Vučić’s 12 years in power
   7. Fox News — Serbia’s student movement topples Vucic’s party after 14 years, but political agenda remains unclear
   8. AP News — Tennis great Novak Djokovic praises Serbia’s student movement after stunning election win
   9. www.france24.com — How student assemblies brought down the Serbian government
   10. theconversation.com — Serbia’s leaderless student movement has won a historic election – but what happens next?
   11. theconversation.com — ‘We changed the system’: how Serbian students ended Alexander ...
   12. theconversation.com — Election special: deadlock in Israel, regime change in Serbia, US midterms
   confidence 85%