Serbia’s Vucic loses snap election after Putin-style power gamble backfires, blames ‘foreign interference’

In a major political setback, Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic acknowledged on Sunday that the student-supported opposition movement had won the snap election in the country, marking an unexpected turn in the country’s political landscape.Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic. (File/Reuters)The election on October 25 saw a fierce battle between Vucic’s right-wing Serbian Progressive Party and the opposition Student List, which was seeking a major political changeAddressing his supporters in Belgrade, Vucic alleged that foreign assistance had contributed to the Student List’s victory but offered no evidence to substantiate the claim, Bloomberg reported. He added that the movement had secured 2 million votes in Serbia, which has a population of approximately 6.5 million.Student-led movement challenged Vucic’s 14-year rule despite Putin's backingVucic had stepped down as president last month in an attempt to position himself for a return as prime minister.The election marked a turning point in Serbian politics, as the student-led opposition movement, which had spent nearly two years challenging the government, emerged as a formidable force.

According to an AP report, Vucic’s 14-year dominance faced an unprecedented challenge from the movement, despite his backing from Russian President Vladimir Putin and repeated accusations that foreign interests were orchestrating efforts to remove him from power.ALSO READ: Serbia: Thousands Rally For Student Movement Ahead of Parliamentary Vote | Hindustan TimesVucic’s Putin-like gamble backfiresVucic stepped down from the presidency and triggered an election in an effort to secure another term in power as prime minister, a strategy that was previously employed by Putin in 2008. Russia’s constitution initially limited presidents to two consecutive terms.

In 2008, Putin used a political arrangement called "tandemocracy" or the "castling" move. He stepped down as president after his second term ended.

He appointed his loyal ally, Dmitry Medvedev, to run for president. Putin then became the PM.Vucic’s bid to return to power as PM did not go as planned, with the student-backed opposition gaining wider support nationwide.

Voter participation also surged during the election, reaching nearly 69 per cent, as per Bloomberg.Student List representatives chant “victory” and “Vucic is gone”Reacting to the election outcome, student movement leader Radomir Saicic described the result as a sign of hope for a better Serbia, urging supporters to remain peaceful and dignified as the country enters a new chapter.ALSO READ: Serbia's president criticizes UN court for not releasing war criminal Mladic to die at home“This is the victory of the conviction that Serbia can and will do better,” said Radomir Saicic, one of the movement’s leaders, as quoted by Bloomberg.“We call on all citizens to act peacefully and in dignified manner,” he said. “We didn’t fight for months to lose it today.”The Student List evolved from the student-led “Students in Blockade” movement, which emerged after a deadly railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad in November 2024. The accident claimed 16 lives and triggered widespread youth protests in the country.