Following a record-breaking voter turnout, Serbia’s ruling party has acknowledged defeat in the October 2026 parliamentary election, yielding power to the citizen network known as Studentlistan after nearly 14 years of governance under Aleksandar Vučić.
The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) conceded defeat in a snap parliamentary election late on October 25, 2026, ending the long-dominant party’s hold on power. This result follows nearly two years of student-led mobilization that began after a fatal infrastructure disaster.
Thousands gathered near the election commission and party headquarters, letting off fireworks and waving flags in scenes of nationwide jubilation. For voters who flooded the streets of Belgrade and other cities through the night, the outcome marked an astonishing break from a decade and a half of centralized control.
Today, the people of Serbia turned out in record numbers to shape their country’s future. Congratulations to the Student List on its victory in the parliamentary elections. We stand ready to support reforms on the rule of law, media freedom, the fight against corruption and…
Student Protests Topple the Ballot Box
The momentum behind Studentlistan traces directly back to 2024, when a concrete canopy collapsed at the railway station in Novi Sad, killing 16 people. Public fury over the tragedy galvanized student groups, who organized through decentralized general assemblies known as plenums to demand accountability and combat pervasive corruption.
What began as campus demonstrations expanded into a broad-based civic coalition. By the time Aleksandar Vučić dissolved parliament and called early elections in September, the movement had transformed its street-level organizing into an electoral force. The movement fielded a slate of candidates coordinated around collective leadership, avoiding traditional party structures and high-profile political bosses.
It feels completely incredible. It feels like I am finally living in a free country.
Voter turnout surged to 67.8 percent, the highest participation rate since at least 1993, according to the independent observation group CRTA. This exceeds the 2023 election, where turnout was just under 59 percent.
Supporters at the Studentlistan headquarters cheered and wept as preliminary results arrived just 90 minutes after polls closed.
Vučić Concedes After 14 Years of Rule
Studentlistan captured 53.3 percent of the vote with 96.93 percent of ballots counted, according to the state election commission RIK. Speaking from the SNS headquarters in Belgrade late on Sunday evening, Aleksandar Vučić confirmed the loss of executive control.
Vučić attributed the defeat to the influence of independent media, interference from unnamed European nations, and what he termed an American “deep state.”
Based on a stratified sample, it is clear that we have lost the election.
Vučić had stepped down from the presidency weeks prior to secure the prime minister’s office following a victory; instead, he now faces the end of an era that began in 2012. Studentlistan is positioned to secure a decisive parliamentary majority, potentially claiming up to 140 of the 250 seats in the National Assembly, while SNS is expected to hold approximately 105.
Citizens were still celebrating in the streets the morning after the election, with some areas near parliament still littered with the remains of barricades from previous protests.
EU Welcomes Results as Governance Questions Arise
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos welcomed the result, noting that the protests reflected core European values and that a new chapter can begin for Serbia.
Fanny Wallberg of the Centre for Eastern European Studies cautions against the assumption that the new movement is a monolith of pro-EU progressivism. The coalition includes both left-leaning activists and nationalists and kept its platform vague on foreign policy to maintain its broad electoral base.
The movement has proposed that candidates should be professionals in their fields—such as medical staff handling healthcare policy—but the lack of a singular leader presents a new challenge for the state.
The political landscape in Serbia has not seen such a dramatic change since the 2012 rise of the SNS.
Dear Serbia, you have made your voice heard!After nearly two years of protests for democracy, the rule of law and the fight against corruption, Serbians turned out in historic numbers.Congratulations to the Student List on your victory!These are the very values at the heart…
