EU welcomes Serbian student movement's election victory, signals renewed accession prospects
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos have congratulated Serbia's student-led movement on its parliamentary election victory, signaling renewed prospects for the country's European Union integration after two years of anti-government protests.
Preliminary results from Serbia's snap parliamentary election show the Student List winning 52.9% of the vote, compared with 38.8% for the political bloc led by former President Aleksandar Vučić, according to election monitors CeSID and Ipsos.
The student-backed movement is projected to secure 140 of the 250 seats in parliament, giving it an absolute majority. Vučić's bloc is projected to win 103 seats.
Von der Leyen praised the record voter turnout and said the EU was ready to support reforms involving the rule of law, media freedom, anti-corruption measures and democratic institutions.
"We are ready to work together to secure Serbia's future in the European Union," she wrote on X.
Kos also welcomed the result, pointing to two years of demonstrations demanding democracy, accountability and the rule of law.
"The door to the EU is open, and we are ready to move forward together," she said.
Vučić acknowledged his defeat on election night and said his political movement would enter opposition.
He also predicted that the incoming government could impose sanctions on Russia as early as March or April, although the student-backed movement has not announced such a decision.
From protests to parliament
The Student List emerged from mass protests following the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people.
Demonstrators accused the authorities of corruption and negligence, turning the tragedy into a nationwide movement demanding political accountability.
The electoral list includes 250 candidates selected by students, among them academics, teachers, athletes and doctors. It is headed by cardiologist Ilija Srđanović.
Serbia is an EU candidate country but has maintained close ties with Russia and has resisted joining Western sanctions against Moscow.