Aleksandar Vučić Concedes Defeat in Serbian Parliamentary Elections

Serbia's long-standing leader Aleksandar Vučić has unexpectedly conceded defeat in snap parliamentary elections.

The right-wing populist leader made the announcement late on Sunday, stating that despite still not having final results, it was clear his party had lost the election. This concession comes as a surprise given Vučić's previous position of strength in Serbian politics.

Preliminary figures from Serbia's election commission show a record high turnout in the elections, which commentators had predicted would favor the student-led protest movement, known as The Student List. The surge in voter participation was seen as a significant factor in the outcome.

Vučić called the snap elections after two years of protests sparked by the devastating collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad in 2024, which claimed the lives of 16 people and highlighted concerns over corruption and negligence in Serbia's government.

Crowds poured onto the streets of Belgrade as news of Vučić's concession spread, with people dancing and chanting "victory in jubilation. Cars honked their horns in celebration, while fireworks lit up the night sky.

In Novi Sad, the city at the heart of the student-led protests, the centre was packed with people rejoicing at the outcome. One student, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed the sentiment of many when they told a BBC reporter: Serbia is free, it's a miracle."

The Student List, an unlikely force in Serbian politics, had managed to galvanize anti-government voters across the country. The movement fielded candidates from diverse backgrounds, including doctors, actors, academics, and sports personalities.

Their campaign promises centred on tackling corruption, with a focus on removing officials who broke rules during the protests, preventing party loyalists from controlling public enterprises, and freeing the national broadcaster from political influence.

A record-high turnout of 64.9% had been reported by preliminary figures from Serbia's election commission by 18:00 local time, two hours before polls were set to close.

The high voter participation was evident in long queues seen outside polling stations across cities and towns in Serbia throughout the day. This trend was not limited to Serbia itself, but also observed in countries with significant Serbian communities, such as Slovenia's capital Ljubljana, Germany's Munich, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Polls were held under high tensions within Serbia, with police taking measures to secure areas around the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) in Belgrade.