Serbia's Vučić Concedes Defeat to Student-Led Movement

Serbia's long-standing leader Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat to a student-led protest movement following the country's snap parliamentary election, stating on Sunday night that "it is clear that we have lost these elections" before final results were confirmed.

The election was called after two years of sustained protests rooted in the November 2024 collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. The disaster became a focal point for public anger over what many viewed as deep-rooted corruption and institutional negligence under Vučić's government.

Preliminary figures from Serbia's election commission pointed to a record high voter turnout, which analysts had widely suggested would work in the protest movement's favour.

Vučić made his concession speech at the Belgrade headquarters of his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Celebrations broke out across the capital, with cars honking and students chanting "victory" in the streets.