Serbia’s student movement topples strongman Vucic after 2 years of anti-corruption protests: What triggered his defeat?

Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat to Serbia's student-backed movement after nearly two years of anti-corruption protests. Sparked by the deadly Novi Sad station canopy collapse, the movement mobilised voters nationwide, defeating his bid to return as prime minister in a snap parliamentary vote.

Aleksandar Vucic, former Serbian president and a longtime leader who has dominated the country's politics, conceded defeat on Sunday (25 October) following a snap vote, saying that the student-backed movement “Student List,” which challenged him, had won the election.

Addressing his supporters in Belgrade while the results of the snap election were still coming in, Vucic announced that Student List had won and added that it had received “direct support from some European countries and the American deep state, the one that is also against President Trump.” He called the movement “just contractors doing some very dirty work,” without providing evidence for his claims. Student List won over two million votes in the Balkan country of 6.5 million people.

Vucic, the former president who has ruled Serbia for more than a decade, resigned in September in hopes of returning as the Balkan country's prime minister. However, his plan backfired after Student List gathered nationwide support and brought roughly 69% of voters to the elections, a record turnout, Bloomberg reported.

What triggered Aleksandar Vucic's defeat?

Vucic has dominated the country's politics for a long time. During this time, he has skillfully balanced the competing interests of maintaining close ties with Russia, China, and US President Donald Trump's administration while also pursuing a bid to join the European Union. However, his defeat was triggered by a grassroots protest movement following outrage over a deadly construction disaster that eventually led him to resign.

In November 2024, a concrete roof over the entrance of a railway station in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad collapsed, killing at least 16 people. Vucic, who served as president then, confirmed in a national address that the initial death toll was 14, including a six-year-old girl and a citizen of North Macedonia, AP reported.

The train station was reportedly renovated twice in recent years. Critics of Vucic's government attributed the tragedy to corruption and sloppy renovations, and members of opposition parties planned to protest on 2 November, a day after the incident.

The protests were spearheaded by university students, who blamed corruption and incompetence among Vucic's officials for the deaths. According to AFP, for nearly two years, students continued to stage rallies and march across the nation to reach voters directly and counter the media machine of the former president's Serbian Progressive Party. Their protests have drawn massive crowds, with a final pre-election rally on 22 October in Belgrade attracting over 150,000 people.

The sustained protests eventually pushed Vucic to call an early parliamentary election in September and resign as president to seek the premiership. But the student-backed movement turned public anger into electoral support, defeating his bid to return as prime minister.

(with inputs from agencies)

About the Author

Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.