Serbia’s strongman toppled by students

Serbia’s longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić has lost a snap election to a student-led movement that won mass support by vowing to fight corruption and reverse democratic backsliding





Aleksandar Vučić
Dominated Serbian politics as prime minister or president since 2014

SERBIA
Belgrade
Novi Sad
ROMANIA
BULGARIA
GREECE
CROATIA
HUNG.
NORTH
MACEDONIA
MONT.
ALBANIA
BOSNIA-HERZ.
KOSOVO
Declared independence from Serbia in 2008
60 miles
100km


STUDENTS MOVEMENT

Grassroots movement, sparked by deadly 2024 collapse of Novi Sad train station canopy, drove nearly two years of nationwide protests against corruption and negligence, ending 14 years of Vučić-led dominance

WHO WILL RUN SERBIA NOW?
None of candidates are students; they include academics, doctors, actors and other figures from civil society

Student List must now choose prime minister and form government. Lead candidate Ilija Srdanović and former central bank governor Dejan Šoškić, expected to play prominent roles

Presidential election to replace Vučić must be held by late December. Radomir Saičić, chemistry professor, considered strong candidate

Radomir Saičić
Ilija Srdanović

SERBIA PARLIAMENT ELECTION (Projected seats*)
*Based on ​CESID-Ipsos analysis

Serbian Progressive Party (SNS)
Student List
103
140
50%
Others: 7

Sources: Reuters, BBC, Bloomberg, The Economist
Pictures: Getty Images
© GRAPHIC NEWS