Serbia Election Results 2026: Student Movement Topples Vučić’s Political Dominance

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By TRH World Desk

A student-backed electoral movement has won a projected parliamentary majority after nearly two years of anti-corruption protests, opening a new chapter in Serbia’s politics and raising questions over its European future.

New Delhi, October 26, 2026 — Serbia has delivered a stunning political reversal. A student-led movement has defeated the political camp of Aleksandar Vučić in the October 25, 2026, parliamentary election, turning nearly two years of street protests into a potentially historic transfer of power.

According to Euronews, preliminary results indicated that the Student List had secured approximately 52% of the vote, compared with 32.3% for the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Vučić conceded defeat, acknowledging that his political camp had lost the election. The movement was projected to win between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member National Assembly, giving it a clear parliamentary majority.

The result marks a major setback for a political establishment that has dominated Serbia since the SNS came to power in 2012. Vučić served as prime minister from 2014 before becoming president in 2017.

The roots of the electoral earthquake lie in the November 2024 collapse of a canopy at Novi Sad railway station, which killed 16 people. The disaster triggered demonstrations demanding accountability and investigations into alleged corruption, negligence and failures in public infrastructure.

What began as a demand for justice evolved into a broader challenge to the government. Students mobilised universities, attracted support from other sections of society and sought to translate public anger into electoral change.

As The Guardian reported, the movement campaigned on restoring accountability and democratic freedoms, presenting itself as an alternative to a political system it accused of concentrating power and weakening institutional checks.

The scale of the projected victory suggests that the protest movement reached well beyond university campuses. However, the final test will be whether a coalition of candidates from diverse professional and social backgrounds can maintain unity after the election.

The result has implications for the European Union, of which Serbia remains a candidate for membership. Deutsche Welle has highlighted concerns over democratic standards, media independence and the rule of law during Vučić’s long period of political dominance.

Foreign policy will also complicate the transition. Serbia has maintained close relations with Russia and China while seeking economic integration with Europe. A new government will have to navigate these competing interests without alienating important partners.