Vučić concedes defeat in Serbian snap election to student-led movement

Serbia's long-time leader Aleksandar Vučić has acknowledged that his party lost snap parliamentary elections to a movement backed by student protesters. Late on Sunday, the right-wing populist leader stated that although final results were not yet available, it was evident his side had been defeated.

Preliminary figures from Serbia's election commission pointed to a record turnout, which analysts had said would benefit the student-led movement. News of Vučić's concession prompted celebrations in the streets.

The snap vote was called by Vučić following two years of protests sparked by the collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people and became a symbol of perceived corruption and negligence within the government.

Vučić had already served two terms as president and was constitutionally barred from seeking a third. He had instead led his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in the election with the goal of returning to the role of prime minister, a position he had held until leaving it in 2017.

Ilija Srdanović, the lead candidate for the Student List, indicated to BBC Serbian that the election outcome would mean the country could now become a free state.