Serbian Leader Concedes Election Defeat
Aleksandar Vučić, who has long held nationalistic and populist views in Serbia, acknowledged his loss in the recent parliamentary elections. He suggested that the student-led movement that emerged victorious was influenced by the same “deep American state” that allegedly works against former President Trump.
His concession came shortly after polls closed on Sunday evening, where he stated, “Based on the stratified sample, it is clear that we have lost the election” to the Student List, which originated from anti-government student protests.
Vučić indicated that the Student List had secured between 135 and 140 seats, while his coalition would round up around 105. Even in defeat, he expressed a desire to return to power.
“I love Serbia. I will never leave Serbia. From freedom and from prison, from any place, I will defeat them much faster than they think,” he stated, according to an English translation.
After the preliminary results showed the opposition movement with a significant lead, he told supporters, “From tonight, we start preparing. We are going to defeat them.”
He further remarked, “You will see in six months, no one will be happy and joyful anymore.”
Reflecting on broader political trends, Vučić claimed that this “verified revolution” was bolstered by support from some European nations and what he termed the deep American state, which he implied was working against Trump.
“I congratulate them, even though they are just executors of work. Executors of dirty work, which someone else designed to bring down a sovereign country,” he commented, adding, “For a moment you have succeeded. For how long, we shall see.”
Previously, Vučić had been in office as both president and prime minister, stepping down from his presidential position in September after almost ten years to run in the parliamentary election aiming to regain the prime minister role he held from 2014 to 2017. He was notably one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders outside the former Soviet Union.
As the founder of the Serbian Progressive Party, he has championed Serbian nationalism, right-wing populism, and conservative ideals. In a prior interview, he remarked that President Trump enjoyed “by far the biggest support” in Serbia, noting it exceeded support levels in any other European nation.
The Student List, also known as Students Are Winning, is an electoral movement backed by young Serbians, running candidates for all 250 parliamentary seats, though notably, none are actual students.
Despite lacking clear leadership, the movement managed to attract anti-government sentiment from various segments of Serbian society, reports suggest. Lead candidate Ilija Srdanović, a cardiologist, remarked on the “unstoppable energy” of the movement as he marched with protesters.
He emphasized their aim to restore core societal values that he claims the previous regime stripped away. Financially, it has been noted that funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported organizations opposing Vučić, with a group involved in the protests reportedly receiving nearly $1 million.
This group, the Center for Research, Transparency, and Accountability (CRTA), has been recognized for its role in the protests and has been granted substantial funds to track electoral processes, media, and public opinion while advocating for “student demands” from the government.
As the Student List prepares to take control in parliament, a prime minister nominee has yet to be named. Srdanović is considered a leading candidate, although Dejan Šoškić, an economics professor and former Serbian National Bank governor, is also in the conversation.
Once the new parliament convenes, the prime minister-designate will need to secure a majority in the National Assembly. Under Serbian law, the new parliament can take as long as 90 days to form the government.
