Serbia's Vucic concedes defeat to student-led movement

· Politics · Serbia

Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat on Sunday to the Student List, a student-led protest movement, in a snap parliamentary election he had framed as a test of his rule. The movement is projected to win about 138 seats, more than the 126 needed for a majority, taking more than 2 million votes in the country of 6.5 million, according to Vucic. Turnout approached 70%, the highest since Yugoslavia broke up in 1992. The vote followed nearly two years of student-led demonstrations over corruption and what critics called authoritarian drift. Vucic, who led for 12 years, said it was clear his party had lost. The EU said the door to membership is open to the new government.

Why it matters：A peaceful transfer of power after 12 years marks one of the region's biggest political shifts in years and will test whether a protest movement can govern and move Serbia closer to the EU.

Key points

  • Vucic said the Student List won more than 2 million votes in a country of 6.5 million.
  • Turnout of close to 70% was the highest since Yugoslavia's 1992 break-up.
  • The EU said the door to membership is open to the incoming government.

Sources (original reporting)

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