Serbia's leaderless student movement moves to form government after landslide
The Student List won 53% of the vote and 141 seats, leaving the country without a designated prime minister as it faces a constitutional deadline.
By Edward Lawson ·
Belgrade residents flooded the streets on Monday to celebrate the end of a fourteen-year authoritarian hold, marking the start of a rapid transition for the newly elected Student List. The movement, which won 53% of the national vote, is now preparing for government formation talks despite having no single leader to sign the orders.
Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat late Sunday, capping two years of protests that began after a canopy collapse in Novi Sad killed sixteen people. With all ballot samples counted by the Centre for Free Elections and Democracy, the Student List secured 141 seats in the 250-member parliament. Vučić’s Serbian Progressive party retained 39% of the vote, holding 103 seats, while national minority lists took the remainder.
The Student List operates through collective decision-making rather than a hierarchy. Its candidate slate included cardiologist Ilija Srdanović, former central bank governor Dejan Šoškić, and chemistry professor Radomir Saičić. Ana Mirković, a university educationist and candidate, stated that the group views the victory as a "historic debt" to the people rather than a gain of privileges.
Mirković told The Guardian that the movement's first task is the "social and psychological detoxification" of the country. The platform promises to create an independent police unit accountable to prosecutors, purge officers linked to organized crime, and ban party loyalists from state-owned companies. The group also aims to dismantle what Mirković called a "system of intimidation" by opening up media and ending pressure on public-sector workers.
Analysts note that the movement faces a bureaucracy staffed by civil servants loyal to the outgoing regime, similar to the challenge faced by Péter Magyar’s Tisza party in Hungary this spring. Dušan Vučićević, an analyst, observed that the group prioritized domestic political issues over foreign policy, including relations with the EU and Russia. The Kremlin stated on Monday that it hopes the new leaders understand that cooperation with Russia serves Serbia's interests.
Nikola Burazer, programme director at the Centre for Contemporary Politics, warned that the movement's decision-making process needs to be sped up. He noted that the candidate selection process took months and that the public will soon focus on the structure of the incoming cabinet. "Twenty-four hours ago that all seemed like a fantasy," Burazer said.
Vučić blamed the defeat on support from European countries and the US "deep state" while in power. International leaders responded with congratulations; Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a new chapter in history, and Friedrich Merz said Germany would actively support Serbia’s European path. The constitution requires the new parliament to convene within thirty days of the official result. A new government must be formed within ninety days of that session, and presidential elections must be held before December 27.
Source: The Guardian
