In Serbia, longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat, after an election that pitted him against a student-led movement calling for an end to corruption, mass surveillance, political violence and democratic backsliding. Vučić conceded after early results showed the opposition Student List poised to win more than 135 seats in the 250-member parliament, compared with 105 for Vučić’s list. It’s a historic victory for the student-led movement that rose up in November 2024 in response to the collapse of a roof at a train station in the city of Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. The disaster became a focal point for protests over government corruption and inefficiency. This is opposition candidate Radomir Saičić speaking after Sunday’s election.

Radomir Saičić: “This is a victory of courage over fear, a victory over unrest. Serbia can — and must — be different. Thank you for every step, every hour, every sacrifice and for every moment you chose not to give up. Thank you to everyone who raised their voice, stood by one another and showed that the future of this country does not belong to a select few, but to all its citizens.”