Serbians voted in a snap parliamentary election on 25 October 2026. According to preliminary results, the Student List won a clear majority in the National Assembly, well ahead of United Serbia, the list led by Aleksandar Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Turnout was the highest in more than 30 years.

Mr Vučić, who has dominated Serbian politics as prime minister and then president since 2014, accepted defeat on election night. He had resigned as president in September to run for prime minister. The new parliament must meet within 30 days of the final results.

The Student List grew out of a grass-roots movement led by students. Protests began in November 2024, after the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad killed 16 people. The demand for accountability grew into a two-year, nationwide campaign against corruption and for strong, independent institutions. Mobilisation, solidarity and determination have paid off: change is possible when people unite and persist in their demands. Young people, students and non-students alike, have shown that they can drive real change.

Democracy has won, and it has won peacefully. Serbian voters have chosen democracy over authoritarian rule, and a peaceful change of power is a cornerstone of any democracy. This is a positive outcome for all Serbian workers and for the country as a whole.

IndustriAll Europe supports the fight against corruption and calls for free mainstream media, independent of political control. The result should also give new impetus to Serbia's EU accession. 

We are confident that trade unions in Serbia will use this momentum to put workers' rights at the centre, in a country that upholds the law: genuine social dialogue, strong collective bargaining, fair wages and decent, safe jobs.

We will watch carefully how the new government delivers on its promises. But first and foremost, this is a great victory of democratic will and a much-needed message of hope, especially in these times.

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