Student Bloc Wins Serbian Parliamentary Vote, Ending Aleksic's Era

A student-led political coalition has taken control of the Serbian parliament following the snap election held on October 25, 2026. The bloc, formed in the wake of massive student protests that began in late 2025, captured 46 percent of the total vote. This result marks the first time a student-organized movement has secured a parliamentary majority in the country's history.

The victory ends the 11-year parliamentary reign of the Serbian Progressive Party. President Aleksandar Vucic, who has led the country since 2014, conceded defeat in a press conference held in Belgrade on October 26. Vucic stated that his party accepted the results with respect for the voters' choice. He said the next government would be formed by the new coalition leadership within the constitutional timeframe.

The student coalition is a loose alliance of independent candidates and smaller opposition parties. The group's primary platform focused on judicial reform, anti-corruption measures, and a new approach to relations with the European Union. The coalition did not run a single party list but rather a coordinated list of candidates across multiple electoral districts. This strategy allowed them to aggregate votes that were previously fragmented among various opposition groups.

The election followed a period of intense social unrest. Student demonstrations began in November 2025 after a fatal train accident in the city of Surdulica. Protests expanded to include demands for the resignation of the education minister and the prime minister. By March 2026, hundreds of thousands of people were gathering in Belgrade's Republic Square on weekly weekends. The government declared a snap election for October 25 to break the political stalemate.

Voter turnout in the October 25 election was 68 percent. This figure is higher than the 52 percent turnout recorded in the previous parliamentary election in 2022. The increase in participation was driven largely by first-time voters in the 18 to 25 age bracket. Exit polls conducted by the National Election Institute showed the student coalition leading by a margin of 12 points in the early counts. The final certified results confirmed the 46 percent share.

The second-place finisher was the Serbian Progressive Party, which received 31 percent of the vote. This was a decline of 14 points compared to their result in 2022. The Democratic Party of Serbia came in third with 11 percent of the vote. The Social Democratic Party of Serbia finished fourth with 6 percent. No other party exceeded the 5 percent threshold required for parliamentary representation.

The new coalition faces the task of forming a government within 30 days. The lead candidate for the coalition, a 24-year-old engineering student named Marko Petrovic, has begun consultations with smaller parties. Petrovic stated in a social media post that the priority was to form a stable cabinet that could pass a reform agenda. He did not name his proposed prime minister or cabinet ministers as of October 27.

Legal experts noted that the coalition's slim majority of 46 percent could make passing legislation difficult. The remaining 54 percent of seats are held by the opposition and independent members. This means the new government will need to build ad hoc alliances for each major bill. Vucic's party holds 31 percent of the seats and has signaled it will play a constructive opposition role. The Democratic Party of Serbia has said it is open to working with the student bloc on budget reforms.

The transition of power is expected to be completed by November 20, 2026. The president will appoint a prime minister candidate who must then win a vote of confidence in the parliament. The parliament is scheduled to convene for its first session under the new majority on November 12. Until then, the current caretaker government will continue to manage day-to-day affairs. The state television network broadcast live coverage of the coalition's victory celebrations in Belgrade on the evening of October 26.