Serbia: Young voters give Vučić a jolt as Student List wins election

Brussels – Serbia turns its back on Vučić. The snap elections have seen the rise of the student movement and the resulting loss of confidence in the president amongst the electorate. Student List wins 52.5 per cent of the vote and 140 seats in Parliament – out of a total of 250 – ahead of Aleksandar Vučić’s United Serbia party, which trails at 40.2 per cent and is not expected to secure more than 105 parliamentary seats. “It is clear that we have lost these elections,” admits the prime ministerial candidate, who, as a result of the election outcome, has been forced to give up the prospect of a new term in office.

Serbia therefore has a new majority and is ready for a new government. This alone illustrates the significance of the vote. The elections are historic, first and foremost, because of the high turnout – around 64.9 per cent – the highest figure since Serbia became independent following the break-up of Yugoslavia. Furthermore, the Student List has managed to channel the votes of all those critical of the governing parties, bringing together intellectuals and figures from the sports world.

The significance of the vote: new EU prospects for Serbia

The vote marks the culmination of tensions and protests by the population against a leadership deemed corrupt and incompetent, which the country’s younger generation has taken to the streets to demand a change of course since the end of 2024. On 1 November 2024, the collapse of the bus shelter at Novi Sad station claimed 16 lives and sparked a wave of protests against the government that has never ceased. President Vučić sought to suppress dissent, thereby distancing the Balkan republic from EU values and the integration process, which Serbia officially began in 2021, the year in which it was granted ‘candidate’ status.

Tensions and protests did not abate, and, in the end, the president dissolved Parliament and called a snap election, which has caused a political earthquake. Now, the outgoing president’s party has been forced into opposition, and a new chapter is beginning. Vučić, a pro-Russian figure, kept the country within Moscow’s orbit, and now the country can embark on an entirely new course.

EU seeks to draw Serbia away from Putin’s Russia

It is precisely the geopolitical implications of the vote that are turning the spotlight on Serbia, a country historically and traditionally close to Moscow. “We are ready to work together to build Serbia’s future within the EU,” said the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who, on behalf of the EU institutions and all 27 Member States, offer support for “reforms in the areas of the rule of law, press freedom and the fight against corruption.” A message for the outgoing political forces and for the now-former Serbian leader.

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, made similar promises: “The Parliament remains committed to supporting Serbia on its path of reforms towards European integration”. These words respond to the appeal launched by the Greens: “Now Europe must stand alongside the Serbian people,” stress Vula Tsetsi and Ciarán Cuffe, the co-chairs of the Greens group. “For the European Greens, Serbia must be part of the European Union”, and to this end “we call on the EU to support the rebuilding of the rule of law, the restoration of democratic institutions and the fight against corruption.”

English version by the Translation Service of Withub