Serbia's populist strongman Vucic outplayed all his opponents. Then the students came

Key Points:

• Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's long-time authoritarian leader, conceded defeat in the parliamentary election to a grassroots student movement that had protested for nearly two years against corruption and cronyism.
• Despite employing tactics such as resigning the presidency to run for prime minister, state media control, voter incentives, and a hard-right campaign, Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party lost amid widespread voter dissatisfaction.
• The student protests began after a deadly 2024 train station collapse linked to graft and negligence, fueling public demand for change and accountability.
• Vucic's political career evolved from ultranationalism and war-era radicalism to a populist who balanced pro-EU and pro-Russian stances, but he returned to hard-right rhetoric and alignment with Putin ahead of the election.
• Following his defeat, Vucic blamed foreign interference but vowed to continue political engagement from the opposition, while reactions in Russia were mixed, with some officials expressing hope for continued friendly relations and others welcoming his fall.