Serbia’s Student List Wins Landslide Election, Ending Vučić’s 14-Year Rule

OPA WIRE, Oct 26 (OPA) — The Student List claimed 140 of the 250 seats in the Serbian parliament, effectively ending the long-standing political monopoly held by Aleksandar Vučić and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The SNS, which has governed the country since 2012, secured only 104 seats and is now set to transition into the opposition. The election results represent a definitive rejection of the SNS model, which critics have long characterized by centralized power, institutional control, and deep social polarization.

The electoral shift was marked by the total collapse of the traditional party landscape, as no other small parties managed to cross the three-percent threshold required for parliamentary representation. Data indicates that the Student List’s victory also eroded the SNS’s traditional support base among ethnic minority communities, including the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians and various Bosniak groups. These shifts signal a fundamental weakening of the patronage networks that previously sustained the Vučić administration.

International reactions were swift, with European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos offering formal congratulations to the victors. The recognition from Brussels suggests a potential reset in Serbia’s relationship with the European Union, moving away from the previous administration’s policies. Hungarian politician Péter Magyar also acknowledged the result, highlighting the regional implications of the power transition in Belgrade.

Aleksandar Vučić warned that the new government would likely pivot toward imposing sanctions on Russia, a significant departure from Serbia’s current foreign policy stance. As the country prepares for a change in leadership, the focus remains on how the Student List will manage the transition of power and address the economic and geopolitical uncertainties raised by the outgoing administration. The result serves as a definitive referendum on over a decade of governance, signaling a new chapter for Serbian domestic and foreign policy.