Serbia faces 90-day deadline to form government after student victory

Serbia’s political transition entered a defined timeline on Monday, as the newly elected Student List prepared to begin negotiations for a new cabinet within 90 days. The movement secured a majority in parliament following a weekend election that ended the 14-year tenure of former president Aleksandar Vučić.

Official projections from the Centre for Free Elections and Democracy in Belgrade indicate the Student List captured 53% of the vote, translating to 141 of the 250 seats in the assembly. Vučić’s Serbian Progressive party finished with 39% of the vote and 103 seats, while national minority lists claimed the remaining positions. The result concludes two years of anti-government protests that originated in the wake of the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse, which killed 16 people.

The movement’s structure presents an immediate administrative challenge. It operates without a formal hierarchy or single leader, relying instead on collective decision-making. While its candidate list included academics, actors, and farmers, it remains unclear who will be appointed prime minister or cabinet members. Prominent figures in the movement include Ilija Srdanović, a cardiologist who headed the list; Dejan Šoškić, a former central bank governor; and Radomir Saičić, a chemistry professor at Belgrade University who addressed the public after the victory.

Ana Mirković, a university educationist and candidate for the Student List, stated that the group views its election result not as an acquisition of power but as a responsibility. She described the movement’s first priority as the social and psychological detoxification of the country. Mirković told The Guardian that the new government aims to dismantle a system of intimidation that encouraged fear and polarisation. She specified that this involves urgently opening up the media, ending pressure on public-sector workers, and stopping institutional violence.

The Student List’s platform centers on restoring the rule of law and curbing corruption. Specific proposals include creating an independent police unit accountable to prosecutors rather than the interior ministry, purging police officers linked to organised crime, and banning party loyalists from appointments in state-owned companies. The movement also plans to establish new independent bodies to scrutinise major state infrastructure contracts to prevent the misuse of public funds.

Institutional overhaul will be complicated by a civil service staffed with officials loyal to the outgoing regime. Dušan Vučićević, an analyst, noted that the movement insisted from the outset that Serbia must address domestic political issues first. He described the task as the literal dismantling of every institution from the national to the local level. Nikola Burazer, programme director at the Belgrade-based Centre for Contemporary Politics, added that the movement’s decision-making process needed to be sped up, noting that the candidate selection process took months.

Vučić, who maintained close ties with Russia during his tenure, conceded defeat late Sunday. He attributed his party’s loss to direct support from various European countries and the US deep state. International leaders responded with support for the new administration. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president of Ukraine, called the result a new chapter in the country's history and thanked Serbia for respecting its independence. Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, stated that Berlin would actively support Serbia’s European path.

The Student List kept divisive foreign policy issues, including relations with the EU and Russia, in the background during the campaign. The Kremlin expressed hope on Monday that the new leaders would understand that cooperation with Russia serves Serbia’s interests. Serbia’s constitution requires the new parliament to convene within 30 days of the official election result. The country must also hold new presidential elections before 27 December, as Vučić stepped down to run for prime minister.