Serbia election 2026: Student-led opposition secures parliamentary majority, defeats Vučić’s coalition

Key points

• Serbia's Student List secured 140 seats and a parliamentary majority.
• Vučić conceded defeat after nearly two years of student-led protests.
• The election opens the way for a major change in Serbia's government.

Serbia's student-led opposition secured 140 seats in the country's 250-member parliament in Sunday's snap election, defeating the coalition of longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić, according to preliminary results released by the Republican Electoral Commission (RIK).

The Student List won 52.71% of votes counted, compared with 39.17% for Vučić's United Serbia coalition, which secured 104 seats. Four parties representing ethnic minorities shared the remaining six seats, according to the latest official count.

The result gives the student-backed movement more than the 126 seats needed for a parliamentary majority, opening the way for a change of government after years of dominance by Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party.

Vučić conceded defeat on Sunday as thousands of opposition supporters celebrated in Belgrade and other cities. Voter turnout was approximately 69%, reflecting strong public interest in the election.

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The snap election followed nearly two years of student-led demonstrations triggered by the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people. The disaster fuelled public anger over alleged corruption, weak oversight and government accountability.

What began as university protests developed into a nationwide movement demanding political change. Student organisers mobilised voters across Serbia, including rural areas traditionally considered strongholds of Vučić's ruling party.

The movement's candidates include professionals and other public figures rather than the student organisers themselves, reflecting its attempt to build support beyond established opposition parties.

The election also marks a major political turning point for Serbia, where Vučić has been the dominant political figure for more than a decade.

However, the new parliamentary majority faces the challenge of turning its protest movement into a functioning government while addressing corruption, economic concerns and Serbia's relations with the European Union.

The official figures remain preliminary. A separate CeSID/Ipsos projection based on its complete polling sample gave the Student List 141 seats and Vučić's coalition 103, slightly different from the RIK count.