Serbia's Vucic concedes defeat in polls

Former Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in Sunday's snap parliamentary election, as independent projections and leaders of a student-backed movement born out of anti-corruption protests confirmed an outright parliamentary majority that ends the ruling party's 14-year grip on power.

In September, Vucic, leader of the Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, resigned early from his second term of office as president to trigger an election, from which he hoped to emerge as prime minister, the post he held before becoming president.

But a result saw the Student List group, which is more of a loose protest coalition than a traditional political party, win 140 of the 250 available parliamentary seats, compared to SNS' 104, for an outright majority.

Speaking at his campaign headquarters in Belgrade on Sunday before final official results were available, Vucic said: "It is clear that we have lost these elections …The student-backed list has won."

Radomir Saicic, a prominent candidate of the Student List and a University of Belgrade professor, said at the victory celebration at the Student List's headquarters, "Tonight the voice of the people is heard … This is a victory of courage over fear, a victory of hope over apathy, a victory of faith that Serbia can and must be different."

The student-backed movement emerged from nearly two years of protests and university blockades following the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in the city of Novi Sad that killed 16 people. The tragedy became a focal point for public anger over corruption and demands for accountability.

Student List's victory was greeted by European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as they issued a statement, saying that they stand ready to support reforms in Serbia.

The outcome marks a major shift in Serbian politics, where Vucic and the SNS have held a dominant position since 2012. Vucic resigned as president on Sept 27 to take part in the parliamentary election, with a new presidential vote required by the end of December.

Julian Shea in London and Xinhua contributed to the story.