Serbia’s student-backed electoral movement has secured a parliamentary majority following Sunday’s election, opening a new chapter after years of political dominance by Aleksandar Vučić. With almost 99% of votes counted, election commission figures reported on 26 October put the movement at 52.7%, against 39.2% for the Serbian Progressive Party-led alliance. The corresponding seat allocation was 139 and 97 in the 250-member parliament, with the remaining seats going to minority parties. Reuters

Vučić conceded defeat on Sunday evening, prompting celebrations across the country. The result gives the winning list sufficient parliamentary strength to form a government without depending on its principal opponent. It also moves the movement into a substantially different phase: translating public mobilisation into decisions about institutions, spending and appointments.

The celebrations retained a connection to the tragedy that helped galvanise opposition to the authorities. In Novi Sad, crowds paused at midnight for 16 minutes of silence in memory of those killed when the railway station canopy collapsed. Elsewhere, supporters gathered in city centres, while people in Belgrade began dismantling the long-standing pro-government camp near the presidency. slobodnaevropa.org

Election monitoring organisation CRTA reported exceptionally strong participation. By 7 p.m., turnout had reached an estimated 67.8%, compared with 55.5% at the same time during the 2023 parliamentary election. Its observation mission involved more than 2,000 people deployed across a representative sample of 500 polling stations.

However, CRTA also documented irregularities, including photographing ballot papers, failures in voter-verification procedures and incidents outside polling stations. These findings require assessment alongside the results; a decisive victory does not remove the need to investigate electoral misconduct. CRTA

The European Union responded quickly. European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the student-backed list and expressed readiness to support reforms involving the rule of law, media freedom and anti-corruption institutions. Leaders in neighbouring Montenegro also welcomed the outcome. slobodnaevropa.org

The immediate uncertainty concerns leadership: as of Monday’s reporting, the movement had not made clear who would become prime minister or hold other key positions. Reuters

Its parliamentary advantage creates an opportunity to act. The harder test will be whether a coalition assembled around demands for accountability can agree on a governing programme and demonstrate that the institutions it criticised will operate differently under its leadership.