Wild celebrations erupted in the streets of Belgrade on Sunday after long-serving Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat in a fiercely contested parliamentary election. The pivotal vote followed nearly two years of sustained anti-government demonstrations and protests against institutional corruption led by the opposition Student List movement.
Voting saw an exceptionally high surge in civic engagement, driven by widespread public frustration. Ipsos/Cesid turnout projections indicated participation reached 60.8% by late afternoon, marking the highest voter turnout recorded in Serbia since the mid-2000s and outperforming previous election cycles by more than 13 percentage points.
The outcome marks a profound political shift for Serbia, which under Vučić maintained controversial diplomatic and close ties with Moscow—including participation in a Russian Victory Parade alongside Slovak figures—despite the broader European condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
