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In a shocking upset, a student movement resoundingly beat longtime Serbian leader President Aleksandar Vucic, ending his time in power after 14 years. Vucic dominated Serbian politics since becoming president of the Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, in 2012, then becoming prime minister in 2014, then switching over to president in 2017. Serbia occupies a […]

Brazil is not the only country to have had dramatic election results this weekend. In Serbia, longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic lost a historic election that brought down his government. William Brangham discussed the results with Heather Conley.

President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia conceded defeat Sunday in an election that pitted him against a student-led movement. Those students managed to turn public anger into an electoral force capable of removing a ruling party that once looked invincible. Now they must turn that force into a functioning government. The preliminary results give the Students’ […]

Non-hierarchical movement is seeking to ‘rebuild society’ in Balkan country after years of authoritarian rule Serbia’s triumphant but untested Student List movement is preparing to start talks on forming a government capable of reversing 14 years of increasingly authoritarian nationalist rule, after a seismic weekend election win . Supporters of the movement, which has no experience of government, took to the streets in the west Balkan country on Monday after the strongman former president, Aleksandar Vučić, was defeated in a historic landslide. Continue reading...

Longtime Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic lost a consequential parliamentary election on Sunday to the grassroots Student List party.

The morning after the surprise defeat of longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian voters still didn’t know who will replace him.

Hopes raised for a reset in relations with EU and other partners following the defeat of authoritarian president Serbian leader ousted by student movement in seismic election Hungary’s prime minister Péter Magyar – who came into power after ousting Viktor Orbán earlier this year – is clearly emotionally invested in the events in Serbia. After posting several times last night and drawing ( somewhat imperfect, but understandable ) parallels between the two victories, he is back at it this morning: “ Surely I wasn’t the only one feeling nostalgic when I saw those pictures coming out of Serbia last night? It’s symbolic that the “Budapest Express” reached Belgrade in politics before it did on the tracks.” Continue reading...

Hundreds of thousands mark student-led victory on the same streets that were once the scene of police beatings Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić ousted by student movement in seismic election Standing on the streets of Belgrade, as passing cars honked excitedly and revellers high-fived police officers, Sara, 24, gestures to the streets around her to explain just how much things had changed for Serbia’s student-led movement. Moments earlier, the country’s longstanding leader, Aleksandar Vučić, had conceded defeat to the student movement, ushering in a seismic political shift in the Balkan country. Continue reading...

Serbia's longtime nationalist leader Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat Sunday in snap parliamentary elections to a student-led opposition movement.

Vučić’s 12-year reign looks to have been ended by record turnout of voters in election provoked by student-led protests The long-serving leader of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has conceded defeat, ushering in a seismic political shift after a historic election that saw ​the increasingly authoritarian leader pitted against a student-led movement that had spent two years protesting against his government. Vučić pointed to preliminary results that suggested voters had overwhelmingly backed the students, potentially giving them a majority in the country’s 250-seat parliament. Continue reading...

A student-led protest movement has ended the 14-year rule of Serbia's right-wing party, former President Aleksandar Vučić conceded Sunday. Why it matters: The historic upset sidelines a Balkan strongman who courted President Trump's family and allies, raising questions about future U.S. relations with a country that has balanced ties with Russia and the West. Vučić 's outreach has included the president's son Donald Trump Jr. and longtime ally Richard Grenell, while a proposed development involving Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner became embroiled in controversy. The big picture: The movement's electoral breakthrough reflects a broader wave of youth activism in Europe, where young people have mobilized over corruption, education and economic pressures. The victory could usher in democratic reforms in Serbia, where Vučić consolidated power. Driving the news: Vučić said Sunday evening it was "clear" that his Serbian Progressive Party had lost to the student-backed electoral movement, although official results had yet to be announced, according to translations of his announcement . He projected the Student List would win between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-seat parliament, compared with 105 for his coalition. Cardiologist Ilija Srdanović heads the Student List, though the grassroots movement emphasized its decentralized leadership. The result echoes the student-led movement that helped topple Slobodan Milošević in 2000 , with Serbians reviving that era's "He's finished!" rallying cry as they celebrated Sunday. Context: The movement emerged from mass protests after the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad that killed 16 people, fueling public anger over alleged government corruption. It subsequently evolved into an electoral movement campaigning for accountability and institutional reform. What's next: The Student List must choose a prime minister and form a government while Serbia faces a separate presidential election in December to replace Vučić.

It was a seismic political shift in the Balkan country where Vucic led with virtually absolute power for 14 years.

It was a seismic political shift in the Balkan country where Vucic, who had been endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and who denounced the student movement as a foreign-led attempt to unseat him, led with virtually absolute power for 14 years.

Aleksandar Vucic, who denounced the oppositional student movement as a foreign-led attempt to unseat him, led with virtually absolute power for 14 years.

Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic conceded electoral defeat Sunday, marking a major political turning point for a country he helped guide through 14 years of economic development, infrastructure expansion, and efforts to strengthen relations with the West.

Article URL: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/serbia-votes-students-seek-unseat-vucic-snap-election-2026-10-25/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50236081 Points: 206 # Comments: 113

Serbian longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic surprisingly conceded defeat in a snap vote on Sunday, saying the student-backed movement that challenged him won the election.

The Student List movement is taking on authoritarian leader following nearly two years of protests against government and institutional corruption What is at stake in Serbia’s election? The latest turnout projection by Ipsos/Cesid suggests a turnout of 60.8% by 5pm local time (4pm UK), with three hours still to go until the polling stations close. That’s more than 13 percentage points higher than in 2023, and would be the highest turnout since mid-2000s. “ What hasn’t motivated me? There isn’t a single reason I could give that would keep me from showing up at my polling station at 6:20 in the morning.” Continue reading...

Serbians go to polls to decide whether longtime strongman Aleksandar Vucic will return as prime minister or be ousted by unprecedented student-led opposition that wants to crack down on graft and boost democracy.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is mimicking his ally Vladimir Putin’s plan to extend his grip on power. He wants to swap the presidency for the prime minister’s job.

As voters head to the polls on Sunday, students are once again at the center of Serbian politics. Their movement began two years ago, in November of 2024, when the concrete canopy of the newly renovated railway station in Novi Sad, the country’s second largest city, collapsed and killed 16 people. Many Serbians saw the […]

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic resigned to run for prime minister, facing his biggest electoral challenge in 14 years by a political party founded by student protesters.

Student List movement hopes to oust the party of veteran leader Aleksandar Vucic in a pivotal vote on Sunday Explained: what’s at stake in Serbia’s election? The key players, main issues and potential fallout About 150,000 supporters of Serbia’s opposition student movement rallied in central Belgrade on Thursday, seeking to oust the party of veteran leader Aleksandar Vucic in crunch parliamentary elections this weekend. The Student List, a leaderless movement of student-backed candidates, wants to end more than 14 years of rule by Vucic’s rightwing populist Serbian Progressive party (SNS) in Sunday’s vote. Continue reading...

Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Serbia's protesting youth movement gathered Thursday at the final campaign rally ahead of a tense weekend parliamentary election in a challenge to the Balkan country's powerful populist strongman Aleksandar Vucic.

Serbia's upcoming parliamentary elections on October 25 have been rocked by so-called "student protests" in the runup to Sunday's voting, and USAID funding is still flowing to an organization supporting opponents of Aleksandar Vučić. The post Biden-Era USAID Grant Still Funding Leftist Protests in Serbia Ahead of Elections appeared first on Breitbart .