Serbia: crowds celebrate in Belgrade after Vučić admits defeat

Crowds celebrated in Belgrade after President Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat for his ruling party in Serbia's snap parliamentary election, following nearly two years of student-led demonstrations.

Supporters of the student-backed opposition movement celebrated the announcement, marking a major political turning point after nearly two years of demonstrations against his government.

Earlier, election officials had begun counting ballots at polling stations across the capital as voting closed. Preliminary figures released by Serbia's election commission indicated the country's highest parliamentary election turnout in more than three decades, reflecting the scale of public participation in a closely watched contest between the governing party and a broad opposition movement.

The election followed a prolonged wave of protests that began after the collapse of a concrete canopy at Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, killing 16 people. The disaster triggered widespread anger over alleged corruption and failures of public oversight, with students emerging as the driving force behind demonstrations that spread across Serbia. Their movement gradually brought together people from different political backgrounds, united in demanding accountability and political change.

Vučić's concession on Sunday brought a dramatic conclusion to the electoral contest, with supporters of the student-led movement gathering in Belgrade to celebrate the defeat of the party that had dominated Serbian politics for years.