Serbia’s Student List led a partial parliamentary election count reported Monday by Tanjug, putting the protest movement ahead of a list tied to former President Aleksandar Vučić as final results remain pending.
Tanjug, citing the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) in a report carried by Telegraf, said returns from 8,077 polling stations gave the Student List 2,211,400 votes, or 52.54%. The “Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia” list had 1,653,868 votes, or 39.29%, while turnout stood at 4,211,957 voters, or 68.78%, the report said.
RIK said it will update its public tally as it receives local records before establishing the final result.
Vučić conceded defeat before the final count. In a statement released by his Serbian Progressive Party, he estimated that the Student List would take 135 to 140 of the National Assembly’s 250 seats and his own list about 105. Those were his projections, not official seat totals. The assembly selects Serbia’s government.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa congratulated the Student List on Sunday and offered support for reforms involving the rule of law, media freedom, corruption and democratic institutions. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said Serbia could move forward with the bloc. Their statements announced no new accession decision or timetable.
The European Commission says Serbia has opened 22 of 35 accession chapters and provisionally closed two. Admission requires provisional closure of all chapters, a determination that the country is ready and unanimous approval by EU member states.
The Student List emerged from protests after a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in November 2024, killing 16 people. The Associated Press reported that protesters blamed corruption and demanded accountability.
Vučić resigned as president Sept. 27, and National Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabić became acting president the following day. RIK must establish the final parliamentary result, while the Serbian government says a presidential election is due by the end of December.
