Parliamentary elections in Serbia ended in defeat for Aleksandar Vucic's government. Representatives of the European Union and Ukraine saw this as an opportunity to expand the anti-Russian coalition. What awaits Belgrade is examined in this RIA Novosti material.
Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) lost the parliamentary elections, receiving 40.41% of voters' ballots. The Student List won with 50.84%. About 70% of voters took part in the elections, a record since the breakup of Yugoslavia. Vucic, who has in one way or another been in power since 2014, conceded defeat before official data was announced.
"I want to tell you, based on a stratified sample, that we lost these elections. The Student List won; they will have from 135 to 140 mandates, we have about 105 (according to official data, the SNS received 103 mandates and the Student List 141 - editor's note). No one else entered the assembly. Hungarians from Vojvodina may enter with three mandates, and Albanians with one mandate. I want to thank all people; we will fight and show them what opposition is. I am proud of everything we have done. Of course, some businessmen, some magnates, some people will leave us, but our structure is very strong," Vucic said.
At the same time, he said that the Student List won with the support of European countries opposing US President Donald Trump. According to Vucic, one of the losers in these elections was Serbian sovereignty, so as early as spring Belgrade could impose sanctions against Russia.
Meanwhile, supporters of the Student List across the country celebrated a victory that was forged over two years during uninterrupted protests caused by the mass deaths at the railway station in Novi Sad. Recall: on November 1, 2024, the recently renovated 50-meter concrete canopy over the entrance to the railway station collapsed onto a crowd of people, killing 16 and injuring more than 30. As a result, Vucic's government began to be accused of corruption, a lack of prospects and the like.
"Dear Serbia, tonight the voice of the people is heard, the voice of freedom. Tonight the citizens of Serbia showed that there is no obstacle stronger than their will, no fear stronger than courage, and that a people determined to take their fate into their own hands cannot be broken. Thank you for every step, every hour, every sacrifice and every moment when you decided not to give up. Thank you to everyone who raised their voice, who supported each other and who showed that the future of this country belongs not to the few but to all its citizens. This victory is not someone's personal trophy; it belongs to all of us," said one of the leaders of the Student List, academician Radomir Saicic.
The winners of the parliamentary elections present the Student List as a meritocratic movement. It is based on a network structure without a single leadership. The electoral list included scientists, doctors and cultural figures selected by movement participants on the basis of professional merit. The basis for the election program was the 11 points of the so-called Student Plan, aimed at a radical fight against corruption, strengthening the independence of the branches of power from each other, and media freedom.
In foreign policy, the Student List tried to preserve the balance between East and West traditional for Serbs. In particular, its members avoid anti-Russian and pro-Ukrainian statements while recognizing Ukraine's territorial integrity within its 1991 borders. At the same time, they promise not to impose sanctions against Russia.
"We respect Russia both as a great power and as a historically important partner for us, and in many cases also a protector. There will be no changes on this issue. The sanctions that small Serbia would impose against Russia would change nothing, but from a symbolic point of view it would be very bad," Professor Jovo Bakic of the Student List said in an interview with RT Balkan.
However, European Union representatives are vying with one another to congratulate Vucic's opponents on their victory, making clear that they have big plans for Serbia. In particular, Ursula von der Leyen said that Brussels will support Serbian reforms in the areas of the rule of law, media freedom, the fight against corruption and the strengthening of democratic institutions.
"The European Parliament remains committed to supporting the reform process in Serbia as long as the country continues its European path," European Parliament President Roberta Metsola added.
In turn, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov noted that Moscow intends to continue promoting the development of Russian-Serbian ties by all means. He also expressed hope that Belgrade's new authorities will strive for constructive relations.
Oleg Bondarenko, director of the Foundation for Progressive Policy and founder of the Balkanist.ru project, believes that such expectations are not unfounded.
"It is premature to talk about any serious reforms: we do not yet know who will enter the new government and become the next president. EU representatives are rejoicing because they had tense relations with Vucic, but the Student List cannot be called European puppets. It brings together a very diverse crowd united around the idea of fighting the ruling regime. Something tells me that the next parliamentary elections will also be snap elections, and Vucic, who will remain the leader of the largest opposition party in the country, will get another chance to head the government. As for a specifically pro-European party, this time European Serbia received 0.29% of voters' ballots," the expert emphasized.
Ekaterina Entina, head of the Black Sea-Mediterranean Studies Department at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, notes that the vote turned from a parliamentary election into a referendum on confidence in the government.
"Vucic did not pass this test. Of course, foreign influence played a significant role, but the extremely high turnout indicates that the protest movement was not artificially constructed. Vucic managed to do a lot during his years in power, but at some point he decided not to respond to citizens' demands but to divide them into opposing camps. Over the past two years their confrontation only grew and led to the SNS's defeat in the elections. At the same time, the Student List is a 'Noah's ark' where there is 'a pair of every creature.' In the next few years, several classic parties will be formed on its basis," Entina explains.
At the same time, the expert clarifies: most Serbs favor cooperation with the European Union, but many put national interests above common European ones. For example, the Student List does not want to recognize Kosovo's independence, criticizes Vucic for surrendering Serbian interests in this area and counts on Russia's help.