Serbia’s Student List Ousts Vucic After 15 Deaths in Novi Sad Canopy Collapse
Updated
Updated · CNN · Oct 26
Serbia’s Student List Ousts Vucic After 15 Deaths in Novi Sad Canopy Collapse
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Oct 26
Summary
52% of the vote and 138 seats gave the student-created Students’ List a parliamentary majority, ending Aleksandar Vucic’s long dominance after he conceded defeat.
The upset grew out of the November 2024 Novi Sad station canopy collapse that killed 15 people, a disaster blamed on shoddy construction, corruption and official negligence.
300,000 protesters filled Belgrade at the movement’s peak, while students built a decentralized campaign through marches, vigils and legal and digital support networks that proved hard for authorities to suppress.
The victory now shifts the challenge from protest to governing: the list is packed with little-known academics, lawyers, athletes, farmers and artists, though the EU has already offered support for rule-of-law and media reforms.
With nationalist rhetoric creeping into the victorious student movement, will Serbia's historic political upset actually bring promised democratic reforms?
How did a tragic 2024 station collapse fuel a student uprising that finally toppled Serbia's decade-long political dynasty?
The 2026 Serbian Election: Student Movement Victory, Regime Change, and the Battle for Democratic Reform
Overview
Serbia’s dramatic political shift in October 2026 began with the tragic Novi Sad station collapse, which sparked mass outrage and student-led protests against corruption. This movement grew into the largest demonstrations since 2000, forcing President Vučić to resign and call early elections. With record turnout, the Student List won a decisive victory, ending over a decade of SNS rule and triggering jubilant celebrations. The new administration, guided by a decentralized structure and internal rulebook, now faces the challenge of investigating past abuses, overcoming entrenched institutional barriers, and restoring trust amid complex domestic and international pressures.