Vucic had ruled Serbia for 14 years with near-absolute power and enjoyed the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the student protests, he described the movement seeking to remove him from power as a foreign conspiracy.
The election witnessed heavy voter turnout amid the student movement and rising tensions across the country. The main contest was between Vucic’s right-wing SNS and university students, who accused the government of corruption and eroding democratic institutions. The student movement received considerable public support.
Serbia’s 6.4 million voters were choosing representatives for the country’s 250-member parliament. While conceding defeat, Vucic said his party’s estimates suggested that the student-backed “Students’ List” could secure between 135 and 140 seats, while his own party could win around 1 seat.
Addressing supporters at his party’s election event, Vucic said, “The Students’ List has won.” However, he blamed Serbia’s independent media, alleged interference by some European countries and the American deep state for his party’s defeat.
The protests against Vucic’s government began in 2024 following the collapse of a canopy at a railway station in the city of Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. The demonstrations subsequently developed into a broader movement against corruption and growing authoritarianism, culminating in an election that challenged Vucic’s long-standing hold on power.
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