Serbia’s student-led opposition movement secured a decisive projected victory in the early parliamentary election on October 25, 2026, after President Aleksandar Vučić acknowledged defeat, marking a major setback for the political bloc that has dominated the country for years.
Preliminary projections by Ipsos and the Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID) put the Student List at 52.9% of the vote, compared with 38.8% for the “Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia” alliance. The final projection published on October 26 estimated that the student-backed list would win 140 of the 250 parliamentary seats, enough for a majority. Official electoral figures released by Serbia’s Republic Electoral Commission also showed the Student List leading, although the results were still being processed.
The election followed nearly two years of student-led protests triggered by the November 2024 railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. Demonstrators demanded accountability and action against corruption, turning the movement into a major political challenger.
International observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament monitored the vote. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights scheduled the publication of preliminary findings for October 26, with a comprehensive final report to follow later. The election outcome remains subject to the completion of official procedures.
