Vučić Says Student-Backed List Won Serbia Election

Aleksandar Vučić conceded his ruling list lost Serbia’s snap parliamentary election on October 25, 2026. At party headquarters he said: "Based on a representative sample, it is clear that we have lost this election" and "The Student List will hold between 135 and 140 mandates." He estimated his Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia coalition at about 105 seats in the 250-member assembly, short of the 126 needed for a majority, with roughly 2.2 million votes for the Student List versus 1.72 million for his side. "We will fight, and we will show them what it means to be the opposition," he said. Vučić’s sample estimates differed from the Republic Electoral Commission’s initial tally after 203 stations showing the ruling coalition at 54.69% and the Student List at 36.04%. The vote followed protests after the November 2024 Novi Sad canopy collapse that killed 16; Vučić called the election in September. CRTA reported 67.8% turnout by 7 p.m. versus 55.5% in 2023. Crowds celebrated in Belgrade, Kragujevac and other cities with flares, horns and chants of "Pump it! Pump it!", "It’s over!" and "Vucic is leaving, Vucic is leaving!"; Student List headquarters heard "Victory!" Police and gendarmerie deployed near state institutions. Final results await the commission.