Politics
Serbian Leader Aleksandar Vucic Defeated by Student Movement in Snap Election
Al Jazeera · 5 hours ago · Read the Full Story on Al Jazeera
AI SUMMARY
Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic has conceded defeat in snap parliamentary elections to a student-led political platform following years of protests and high voter turnout.
- Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat to the Student List in snap parliamentary elections.
- Voter turnout reached its highest level in more than 30 years.
- Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party is projected to win 105 seats in the 250-member parliament, trailing the Student List's expected 135 to 140 seats.
- The student movement emerged following the November 1, 2024, railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad that killed 16 people.
- The youth-led protests evolved into the Student List platform, campaigning to tackle corruption, depoliticise institutions, and restore citizens' rights under the leadership of professor Ilija Srdanovic.
- Vucic resigned from the presidency in September under pressure from protests and called early elections.
- Serbia's unemployment rate dropped from 26 percent to 8 or 9 percent and GDP nearly tripled to 90 billion euros during Vucic's time in power, alongside increased foreign investment.
- Critics and analysts argue that Vucic's decade in power was marked by systematic pressure on institutions, strict control over the media, and a modest record against corruption despite economic expansion.
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