Serbia Has Entered a New Political Era

Arminfo. The “Student List” is leading in Serbia’s elections, Vučić has conceded defeat. The “Student List” won the parliamentary elections in the country, marking a dramatic breakthrough for the movement that emerged from months of student protests and quickly transformed into a key political force in the country. euro.news reports. 

In a brief address to the nation, outgoing Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat and said that the “Student List” had won a majority in parliament.

Vučić said that “based on a representative sample, it is clear that we lost the election,” adding: “The ‘Student List’ won and will receive between 135 and 140 seats, while we will have around 105.”

According to Vučić, the Serbian Progressive Party received around 1.72 million votes. The “Student List” received 2.2 million, giving it a majority of 52% against 32.3%.

It is still too early to draw final conclusions and say whether any of the smaller parties crossed the 3-percent electoral threshold, but it is clear that this will no longer affect the overall outcome of the vote or who emerged as the winner.

The result means more than simply a change in the distribution of seats in parliament. It represents a profound rejection of the political model that shaped Serbia’s development for more than a decade.

Analysts believe that transitioning from a protest movement to governing the country could prove a significantly more difficult task for the “Student List” than winning the election.

Running the state means making decisions on the economy, foreign policy, relations with the European Union, Kosovo, security issues, energy, public finances, and Serbia’s ties with Russia and China. The student movement will now have to prove that its political legitimacy can be transformed into effective governance of the state.

There may be several consequences. 

First, this is a generational shift in Serbian politics. The movement, dominated by young people, managed to challenge the political elite that had determined the country’s course for many years.

Second, a large-scale institutional reset is possible. The new government will be expected to take serious steps to ensure the independence of institutions and the judiciary, combat corruption, reform public media, and improve the conditions for holding elections.

Third, Serbia’s foreign policy may enter a new phase. The new leadership will immediately have to answer questions about the process of joining the EU, relations with Brussels and Washington, as well as traditionally close ties with Moscow and Beijing. Whether the “Student List” chooses an unequivocally pro-European course or tries to maintain a more balanced approach will be closely watched.