Serbian Leader Aleksandar Vucic Ousted by Student Protests

Serbia’s Longtime Leader Concedes Defeat in Parliamentary Elections

Aleksandar Vucic, who has been Serbia’s leader for over a decade, has conceded defeat to a student-led protest movement in Sunday’s parliamentary elections. The Student List, which emerged after the 2024 train station collapse in Novi Sad, won 135-140 seats in the 250-member parliament.

Vucic’s electoral list was expected to win 105 seats, according to a sample of votes. He acknowledged defeat and referred to his supporters as “blockaders,” who he accused of seeking to destabilize Serbia during the election campaign.

The student movement, led by Ilija Srdanovic, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad, campaigned on promises to tackle corruption, depoliticize public institutions, and restore citizens’ rights. The movement gained momentum after 16 people were killed in the train station collapse on November 1, 2024.

Vucic’s political career spans over three decades, with a background in ultranationalist politics. He graduated from the University of Belgrade’s faculty of law and entered politics in 1993. Vucic served as first deputy prime minister from 2012 to 2014 before becoming prime minister in 2014.

He later became president of Serbia in 2017, winning re-election in 2022. His term was set to run until 2027, but he resigned in September under pressure from the student-led protests and called early elections. The results of the election marked a significant shift in Serbian politics, with the Student List emerging as a major force.

Aleksandar Seselj, Vucic’s son and a former ultranationalist, was on Vucic’s electoral list in Sunday’s elections. His father, Vojislav Seselj, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Appeals Chamber of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals for persecution, deportation, and forcible transfer of non-Serbs during the wars in the Balkans in the 1990s.

Vucic’s electoral list had been expected to perform well, but the Student List’s strong showing has sent shockwaves through Serbian politics. The outcome of the election will likely have significant implications for Serbia’s future political landscape.

Source: Al Jazeera