Vučić lost his parliamentary majority, the Albanians secured a second seat, while Ivica Dačić’s Socialist Party of Serbia failed to reach the 3% electoral threshold, putting its parliamentary representation at risk.
International leaders welcomed the results. European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the Student List on its electoral victory, expressing the European institutions’ readiness to support Serbia’s progress towards EU membership.
“We are ready to support reforms in the areas of the rule of law, media freedom, the fight against corruption and the strengthening of democratic institutions, as well as to work together to realise Serbia’s European future,” the EU said in its statement.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said the election result marked a new beginning in Serbia’s relations with Brussels.
“Dear Serbia, your voice has been heard! After nearly two years of protests for democracy, the rule of law and the fight against corruption, Serbs turned out to vote in record numbers. Congratulations to the Student List on its victory! These are the core values,” Marta Kos said.
According to preliminary results translated into parliamentary seats, the Student Movement is projected to win between 138 and 140 seats, while Vučić’s party is expected to secure between 103 and 105 seats in the 250-member parliament.
However, the European Union’s expectations for cooperation with the Student List have yet to translate into concrete results.
The party is led by Ilija Srdanović, a cardiologist and professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad.
When it comes to Albanians, however, Srdanović does not appear to be departing from Serbia’s established position.
While celebrating at the party headquarters, the cardiologist, who is expected to become prime minister, raised three fingers a gesture widely recognised as a symbol of Serbian nationalism. The gesture was widely used during the wars against Kosovo and Croatia.
The Student List emerged from two years of protests across Serbia, sparked by the November 1, 2024, tragedy in Novi Sad, in which 16 people lost their lives. It subsequently evolved into a political movement seeking to remove Vučić from power and fight corruption in the country.
For the first time, all eight Albanian parties from the Presheva Valley, Bujanoc and Medvegje ran together on a joint list called the Albanian Coalition, listed as number 17 on the ballot. Their goal was to secure more seats in the Serbian Parliament, strengthen the Albanian community’s voice in demanding respect for its rights, and continue the political struggle against its assimilation.
According to Serbia’s 2022 census, more than 60,000 Albanians live in the country.
