Student List Claims 140 Seats in Serbia, Ending Vucic Era

Serbia’s Student List won a decisive victory in Sunday’s snap parliamentary election, securing 52.54 percent of the vote to end Aleksandar Vucic’s decade-long dominance of the country’s politics. The Republic Election Commission released the preliminary figures on Monday, showing the student-led bloc has enough support to form a government without coalition partners. This result marks a sharp break from the United Serbia list, led by the former president’s Serbian Progressive Party, which received 39.29 percent of the ballots.

The Student List is projected to claim 140 of the 250 seats in the National Assembly, far exceeding the 126 required for a majority. United Serbia is expected to hold 103 seats. The remaining nine seats are divided among smaller groups, including the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, the Albanian political bloc, and two single-seat lists. Voter turnout reached 68.78 percent, the highest level recorded in more than 30 years.

The movement’s rise followed two years of protests that began in 2024 after a railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad killed 16 people. What started as demonstrations for accountability expanded into a campaign against corruption and the capture of democratic institutions. In its September electoral program, the Student List pledged to tackle organized crime, improve education, ensure media freedom, and raise living standards.

Ilija Srdanovic, a cardiologist and professor at the University of Novi Sad Faculty of Medicine, is the most likely candidate for the new prime minister. He led the movement during the campaign, though the list avoided naming a single front-runner to emphasize its collective nature. The Student List has not yet announced who will take charge of key ministries, including finance, justice, and internal affairs.

The new National Assembly must be established within 30 days of the final results being announced. A government must be formed within 90 days after the assembly is set. Because the Student List holds a clear majority, lengthy coalition negotiations are not required. The next steps depend on when the final election results are officially declared.

Ana Brnabic, the president of the National Assembly, is serving as temporary president following Vucic’s resignation on September 27. She is required to call an extraordinary presidential election by December 27, which is three months after Vucic’s mandate ended. The Serbian president is elected directly by citizens, a role that is largely ceremonial compared to the powers held by the prime minister.