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Serbian Leader Vucic Concedes Defeat in Parliamentary Election
Confirmed
In Short: Aleksandar Vucic, leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), conceded defeat in Sunday's parliamentary election, citing preliminary results that showed the Student List winning between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member parliament.
Vucic told supporters, 'It is clear that we have lost these elections,' after a sample of votes indicated his party would secure around 105 seats.
The Student List, a youth-backed protest movement, surged ahead with an estimated 2.2 million votes compared to the SNS's 1.72 million votes.
Voter turnout reached its highest level in over 30 years, with nearly 6.4 million voters participating in the election.
Vucic, who entered politics in 1993 and joined the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party, conceded in a brief statement to the nation, declaring the Student List as the majority winners.
Political scientist Dusko Radosavljevic noted that the past decade under Vucic's leadership was marked by 'systematic pressure and the destruction of social institutions.'
Vucic's ouster was seen as a victory for democracy and a new future for Serbia, with one voter saying, 'We are all too happy, finally we are becoming one normal and free country.'
Vucic blamed Serbia's independent media and alleged interference by unnamed European countries and an 'American deep state' for his party's loss.
The election was called after almost two years of student-led demonstrations against perceived corruption and creeping authoritarianism, triggered by the deaths of 16 people in a train station canopy collapse in Novi Sad in 2024.
The Student List's victory marks the end of 14 years of rule by the Serbian Progressive Party.
Vucic's concession speech highlighted the high voter turnout, noting that it did not surprise him given the strong mass that had formed over the past two years.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed readiness to work with the new government to advance Serbia's future in the European Union.
What this adds
The election results reflect a significant shift in political power, with the Student List securing a clear majority in the parliament.
What's confirmed
- Serbia's 6.4 million voters were electing lawmakers to the 250-member Parliament.
- Read more Serbia holds parliamentary election as populist leader Vucic faces student movement "Dear Serbia, tonight the voice of the people is being heard," said Radomir Sajcic, a professor at Belgrade University speaking on behalf of the students at their headquarters.
- “Based on a stratified sample, it is clear that we have lost this election. The student blockade list won,” Vucic said in a press briefing.
- In conceding the election, Vucic said his party projects that his opponents, the youth-backed Students' List, will take between 135 and 140 seats while his SNS party will have around 105.
- “I want to inform you that, based on a stratified sample, it is clear that we lost these elections,” Vučić said in an address to journalists and party members at the headquarters of his Serbian Progressive Party in the capital.
- "It is clear that we have lost these elections," he told a news conference late on October 25, after polling stations closed across Serbia.
- But he called snap elections in September after almost two years of student-led demonstrations against perceived corruption and creeping authoritarianism, triggered by the deaths of 16 people when a train station canopy collapsed in the city of Novi Sad in 2024.
- “It is clear that we have lost these elections, the Student List has won,” Vučić said after the polls closed, adding that the students would have between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-seat parliament and that his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) would have 105, based on preliminary results.
- “The Students’ List has won,” Vucic told supporters at his party’s election night event, though he blamed Serbia’s independent media as well as alleged interference by unnamed European countries and an ”American deep state” for the loss.
- "(The turnout) did not surprise me because there was a large and strong mass that has formed throughout the past two years," said voter Katarina Petrovic.
What's still developing
- Born in Belgrade in 1970, the nearly 2-metre-tall (6.5ft-tall) Vucic graduated from the University of Belgrade’s faculty of law.
- “He made many promises and fulfilled few of them, but in the meantime, he established almost complete control over the state apparatus,” Bisevac said.
- “Vucic lagged far behind in popularity at the time and was essentially the organiser of the newly formed party,” Bisevac told Al Jazeera.
- "It is clear we have lost these elections," right-wing populist leader Vučić said as he conceded late on Sunday, citing preliminary figures that gave the students 2.2 million votes and his party 1.72 million.
- Vucic said the student-backed list would win between 135 and 140 of the 250 parliamentary seats, while his "Aleksandar Vucic -- United Serbia" coalition would have around 105, and he attributed the projected loss to foreign support for the protest movement.
- People wait outside a polling station before the start of voting in a parliamentary election in Novi Sad, Serbia, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.
- “We still do not have final results,” Vučić told supporters at his party headquarters in Belgrade.
- BELGRADE — Serbia’s ruling party lost parliamentary snap elections, veteran leader Aleksandar Vucic said Sunday, citing preliminary results showing the student-backed protest movement surging ahead.
- Unable to seek a third term, he was hoping to become prime minister after calling for a snap election.
- Student List movement projected to have 141 seats in the new parliament, well clear of the 126 required for majority Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić concedes defeat in fiercely contested parliamentary election Student List movement projected to have 141 seats in the new parliament, well clear of the 126 required for majority Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić concedes defeat in fiercely contested parliamentary election The latest version of the Ipsos/CeSID poll, updated with the partial results, gives the Student List 141 out of 250 seats in the new parliament with 52.9% of the vote share.