Serbia's fallen strongman Aleksandar Vucic has blamed an alleged American 'deep state' opposed to Donald Trump and European powers for the student uprising that ended his 14-year political dominance. This comes even as a Republican Congressman and Trump ally has welcomed Vucic's defeat, calling it a new beginning for Serbia.Aleksandar Vucic dominated Serbian politics for 14 years.

He served as prime minister from 2014 to 2017 and president 2017 onwards. (Images Reuters/ AP) Serbia's fallen strongman Aleksandar Vucic has blamed an alleged American "deep state" opposed to US President Donald Trump and several European countries for the student-led uprising that ended his 14-year political dominance. Vucic, who conceded defeat in Sunday's parliamentary election in Serbia, accused foreign powers of orchestrating a revolution against his government.Even as Vucic saw defeat, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, a Trump ally and longtime critic of the outgoing Serbian president, welcomed the students' victory and called it a new beginning for Serbia.

The remarks have brought Washington DC into the political storm surrounding the Balkan nation's historic election.Vucic's allegations were not entirely unexpected. Days before the October 25 election, he had accused foreign powers of supporting his opponents and identified his refusal to sanction Russia and recognise Kosovo as reasons Western governments wanted him removed.While the accusations came even as the student-backed opposition secured a decisive victory through elections, Vucic offered no substantiated evidence that Washington DC or European governments engineered the pre-poll uprising.

While in power, Aleksandar Vucic was closer to Russia than the US. But he was not exclusively pro-Russia.

He pursued a balancing policy, and maintained close ties with Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping while seeking EU membership and cooperating with Washington DC.VUCIC BLAMES US DEEP STATE FOR HIS DEFEATSpeaking at the headquarters of his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Belgrade on Sunday, Vucic acknowledged that his political coalition had lost the parliamentary election. "It is clear that we have lost these elections," he said, according to Reuters. Vucic projected that the Students' List would win between 135 and 140 seats in Serbia's 250-member parliament, against approximately 105 for his coalition.

The figures he gave were preliminary, pending official confirmation. But his concession came with accusations against foreign powers."I want people to know that this was the legitimisation of a revolution carried out by the people with direct support from various European countries and the American deep state, the one that opposes President Trump," Vucic said, according to Radio Free Europe.He also accused his opponents of doing the bidding of foreign interests.The allegations are also important as Vucic specifically blamed forces in the US opposed to Trump, rather than the American president himself.TRUMP ALLY CELEBRATES VUCIC'S DEFEATWhile Vucic accused anti-Trump forces of engineering his downfall, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson welcomed the election result.Wilson, a co-chair of the US Helsinki Commission and a longstanding critic of Vucic, told Radio Free Europe that the Serbian people had earned their victory through determination and a commitment to restoring the rule of law."This will include expelling the pernicious influence of the Chinese Communist Party and diversifying energy away from Russia.

This is a new dawn for Serbia as it embraces its place in Western civilisation. Dictators are on the run during the Trump administration," Wilson said.Wilson's remarks are particularly contrasting to Vucic's accusations.

The Serbian leader blamed forces allegedly opposed to Trump, while a Republican lawmaker is commending his defeat as a positive development under Trump's presidency.There's no immediate White House response to the election result.VUCIC HAD THREE REASONS TO BLAME THE WESTVucic's allegations of foreign interference were not an afterthought following his electoral defeat. The Serbian strongman had accused Western powers of plotting his removal even before the country went to the polls on October 25.In an October 20 interview with Russian journalist Ksenia Sobchak, he claimed that foreign powers wanted him removed for three principal reasons.The first was Serbia's refusal to impose sanctions on Russia, the second was his refusal to recognise the independence of the self-independent Serbian region of Kosovo.

The third, he said, was his resistance to historical efforts to prevent Serbia from becoming the dominant power in the Balkans."That is absolutely the number one reason. That is even more important than the fact I do not want to recognise Kosovo as independent.

At every meeting I have in Europe, people mention that we have not imposed sanctions on Russia," Vucic said.He also accused neighbouring Albania, Croatia and Montenegro of supporting his political opponents."Dehumanisation, criminalisation and denial of results are the three things that are at work here. Under such circumstances, what I say is completely irrelevant, they just do not care.

Today, those people are getting open support from Albania, Croatia and Montenegro, from all the leaders there," he said, reported Belgrade-based Tanjug news agency.The interview showed that Vucic had developed his foreign-interference narrative before voters delivered their verdict.WILL SERBIA NOW TURN AGAINST RUSSIA?Vucic also predicted that the incoming government would reverse Serbia's longstanding refusal to sanction Moscow."By March or April, you will have sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation. You will see.

They will do everything they didn't want to tell you about, everything they lied about, because — I repeat — they are merely the ones carrying out someone else's plans," he said, according to Radio Free Europe.Serbia has pursued European Union membership while maintaining close political and economic ties with Russia and China.Vucic's prediction, however, are allegations about the incoming government's intentions. They are not the Opposition's announced policies.Vucic had cultivated close relations with Moscow and Beijing, making Serbia an important partner for both countries in Europe.

So, Vucic's removal could be the beginning of Serbia's political transformation.HOW STUDENTS ENDED VUCIC'S DOMINANCEThe movement that defeated Vucic began after a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in November 2024, killing 16 people. The disaster triggered demonstrations demanding accountability over alleged corruption and failures in public construction projects.Students subsequently organised protests, blockades and nationwide demonstrations that grew into a broader challenge to Vucic's political dominance.Vucic, who became prime minister in 2014 and president in 2017, had dominated Serbian politics for more than a decade.

The October 25 election cemented the transformation of the student movement from a street campaign into an electoral force.According to preliminary projections reported by Anadolu Agency, the student-backed list secured around 52% of the vote, compared with approximately 39% for Vucic's coalition. The result ends the governing party's 14-year dominance, even as Vucic attributed his defeat to foreign interference.While the student movement has won an election, whether its victory changes Serbia's relations with Washington, Moscow and Beijing remains to be seen.- Ends