Serbia just did something its strongman said could not happen. In Sunday’s Serbia election, Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat to the Student List, a movement born in street protests. “It is clear that we have lost these elections,” he said, according to the BBC.
For more than a decade, Vučić dominated Serbian politics. He also stayed friendly with Vladimir Putin. So this result matters well beyond the Balkans. Conservatives should welcome it, because a corrupt government lost to voters at the ballot box.
Key Takeaways
- Vučić said the Student List would win 135 to 140 of parliament’s 250 seats, with about 105 for his Serbian Progressive Party.
- A later Ipsos/CeSID projection gave the Student List 141 seats and 52.9% of the vote.
- The movement grew out of protests after a train station canopy collapse in Novi Sad killed 16 people.
- Turnout hit a near-record 67.8% by 7 p.m., according to independent monitors.
- Vučić never imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
How the Serbia Election Unfolded
Polls closed at 8 p.m. local time. Then the election commission went quiet instead of releasing its usual early numbers. About an hour later, Vučić appeared on every channel in Serbia and admitted the loss, Politico Europe reported.
He said his party received about 1.72 million votes to roughly 2.2 million for the Student List, Euronews reported. Later, the Guardian cited an updated Ipsos/CeSID projection. It gave the Student List 141 seats, well past the 126 needed for a majority. Meanwhile, Vučić’s list fell to 103 seats.
Crowds poured into Belgrade within minutes. People danced, honked and set off fireworks. Some chanted “He’s finished!” That same refrain rang out in October 2000, when voters toppled Slobodan Milošević.
Why Serbians Turned on Vučić
The spark came from Novi Sad. A train station canopy collapsed there and killed 16 people. To many Serbians, the disaster summed up years of corruption and negligence. As a result, students led two years of protests, and Vučić eventually called snap elections.
He had served two terms as president and could not run again. Instead, he led his party with the aim of returning as prime minister. He promised higher pensions, bigger public salaries and more health spending. Voters were not buying it. Vučić and his party have repeatedly denied corruption.
The Student List ran on a clear manifesto. It promised to purge officials who broke the rules while cracking down on protesters. It also pledged to keep party loyalists from running state companies and to free the public broadcaster from political control. Notably, its candidates were doctors, actors, academics and athletes, not career politicians.
What the Serbia Election Means for America
First, Putin lost a friend. Vučić courted the European Union but refused to sanction Moscow. A Serbia that looks West is good for American interests in a region Russia has long tried to work.
Second, labels do not excuse bad government. The BBC calls Vučić a right-wing populist. However, conservatives do not defend a leader just because of his label. We stand for honest institutions, a free press and officials who answer to voters. By that test, Serbians made a sound choice.
Third, credit where it is due. Vučić conceded quickly and on camera. That is how a democracy should work, and it is a cleaner finish than Brazil’s contested runoff offered on the same night.
Still, the hard part starts now. The Student List has no obvious leaders, and most of its members are new to politics. Protest energy is not the same as running a country. If the new government chases spending sprees instead of reforms, Serbians will learn what France is learning about debt.
So watch three things: whether the new majority actually cleans up state companies, whether it frees the media, and where it lands on Russia. Here is our question for you: is the Serbia election a win for freedom, or is it too soon to tell?
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