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Student representatives from the victorious Student List called for the immediate resignation of police commanders, state security officials, military intelligence leaders and public prosecutors during a press conference held in a park opposite parliament in Belgrade. They further urged audits of public institutions, ministries, state enterprises including the EPS power utility and various funds to examine finances, contracts and procurement practices. Reuters reported that the demands included expediting investigations into alleged corruption from the previous administration, with particular focus on the 2024 Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse that killed 16 people and ignited the protests. Filip Ubovic, a student activist, stated in the announcement, “We demand an immediate audit of the current state of public institutions, ministries, public enterprises, the EPS electric power utility, and state funds, including finances, contracts, public procurement and assumed obligations.” The purge has already seen the director of state broadcaster RTS step down.
Serbia’s State Election Commission figures showed the Student List capturing 52.7 percent of the vote and 139 seats in the 250-seat parliament against 39.2 percent and 97 seats for Vucic’s alliance with the remainder going to smaller parties. Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat on October 25 shortly after polls closed, confirming the Student List would hold between 135 and 140 seats. The New York Times reported that Vucic, who had dominated politics as prime minister or president since 2012, made the announcement in a televised speech that surprised many observers given past disputes over election results. Celebrations erupted in Belgrade with thousands taking to the streets, honking horns and chanting in a display of public relief at the outcome.
The student movement originated from protests that followed the fatal collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, an event that many attributed to widespread corruption in public construction projects. Reuters accounts trace how the demonstrations grew over nearly two years to encompass farmers blocking roads with tractors, professionals joining plenums and ordinary citizens demanding accountability. The movement deliberately operated without a single figurehead to shield it from targeted repression by authorities. Its platform, known as the Student Plan, centers on recovering misappropriated state assets, curbing plunder and directing resources toward education and economic development.
The head of Serbia’s public broadcaster RTS, Manja Grcic, resigned late on October 28 after discussions with union representatives, according to a Reuters dispatch from Belgrade. She acknowledged that her continued role was viewed by some as an obstacle to change following the election. Newly elected MP Mirjana Nikolić said citizens had the right to truthful information after years in which the broadcaster had served government interests. A related BBC report noted that the Student List has promised broader reforms to institutions long seen as aligned with the previous leadership.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the Student List on its victory via a post on social media and offered EU support for reforms focused on the rule of law, media freedom, anti-corruption measures and democratic institutions. A Reuters analysis highlighted uncertainties over how the movement’s candidates, drawn from fields including medicine, academia, arts and farming, will select a prime minister and form a cohesive government despite their parliamentary majority. Prominent names on the list include cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic at the top, former central bank governor Dejan Soskic and Belgrade University professor Radomir Sajcic, though none has been designated as the next leader.
Vucic had resigned the presidency in June 2026 amid sustained pressure from the protests before calling the snap parliamentary election in September. The Guardian reported that the vote became a de facto referendum on his rule, with record turnout helping propel the student-backed slate to victory. Supreme Public Prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac instructed chief prosecutors to safeguard official documents in state institutions in response to the transition, according to local reporting relayed by international wires. The developments mark the first change of government in Serbia in more than a decade.
