Student List wins Serbia's parliamentary vote, Vučić concedes; Kremlin urges ties with Russia

The result

Serbia's parliamentary elections on Sunday, 25 October, were won by the Student List (Lista Studencka - Studenci Zwyciężają). The election monitors CeSID and Ipsos gave the list 52.9% of the vote in their final projections, which equals 140 of the 250 seats in parliament. The governing list Aleksandar Vučić - Zjednoczona Serbia took 38.8% and 103 seats according to the same projections. Later official figures reported by Mediafax put the Student List at 53.3% and the Serbian Progressive Party at 39.6%. The vote took place against a prolonged political crisis marked by mass protests against the authorities in Belgrade.

Student List52.9%

Aleksandar Vučić - Zjednoczona Serbia38.8%

Student List

52.9 %

Aleksandar Vučić - Zjednoczona Serbia

38.8 %

Data from the article text

Vučić concedes

Vučić admitted defeat on Sunday evening and said the Student List had won the most seats. He added that he was used to working in opposition, and Aktuálně reports that he announced his move to the opposition benches. Polsat News describes his position as one that has lasted more than ten years, a dominance now coming to an end. Vučić has long kept close relations with Moscow, which Serbian and Russian officials both describe as close.

Kremlin's response

On Monday, 26 October, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow had taken note of the result. He congratulated Vučić, said Moscow appreciated his contribution to bilateral relations and expressed hope that he would keep contributing from opposition. Peskov also hoped the new political forces would act constructively toward developing relations with Russia. He said they should understand that cooperation with Russia is in Serbia's interest because it benefits Serbia first.

Belgrade's stance on Russia

Jovo Bakić, a representative of the Student List, said the new Serbian government will not impose sanctions on Russia. He dismissed Vučić's claim that such sanctions were imminent within a few months. Bakić said Russia remains a partner and a historically important protector, and that Serbia's foreign policy would not change. He also argued that sanctions imposed by a country of Serbia's size would change nothing in practice but would be symbolically serious. Nicușor Dan and Ursula von der Leyen had earlier congratulated the Student List on its election success.

Serbia's ties with Russia

Under Vučić, Serbia did not join Western sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, although it condemned the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity. Serbia also wants to become a member of the European Union. Its economy depends on Russian gas, and Russian companies hold a majority stake in its only oil refinery. Moscow called it a betrayal in 2025 that Serbian ammunition reached Ukraine through third countries including the Czech Republic, after which Belgrade suspended its arms and ammunition exports. Moscow is also an important ally on the Kosovo question and enjoys the support of a large part of the Serbian public.