“We have lost the election”: Serbia’s President concedes defeat

Serbia’s new opposition force, the Student List, has secured more than 50% of the vote and will be able to form a government, the BBC reports.

Aleksandar Vučić, leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, conceded defeat in the parliamentary election even before the official results were announced.

According to Serbia’s Republic Electoral Commission, the new opposition force, the Student List, received 50.84% of the vote in the parliamentary election.

By comparison, the list backed by former President Aleksandar Vučić secured 40.41% of the vote, according to the same data.

A total of 18 parties and electoral lists appeared on the ballot, but 15 of them received less than 1% of the vote.

Vučić made his statement before the vote count was officially announced. He estimated that the Student List would win between 135 and 140 seats in parliament.

The unprecedentedly high voter turnout — nearly 68% — was a key factor behind the early concession.

“Today, the people of Serbia turned out to vote in record numbers to determine the future of their country. We congratulate the Student List on its victory in the parliamentary election. We stand ready to support reforms in areas such as the rule of law, media freedom, the fight against corruption, and the strengthening of democratic institutions, as well as to work together to advance Serbia’s progress towards the European Union,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.