How Serbia’s Student-Led Movement Defeated Aleksandar Vučić After 12 Years in Power

Serbia’s political landscape has shifted dramatically after record voter turnout ended the 12-year rule of Aleksandar Vučić. The surprise victors: a list of candidates put forward by student activists, half of whom hold PhDs, who have led protests across the Balkan country for the past two years. The movement, known as the Student List, capitalized on widespread discontent with Vučić’s increasingly authoritarian regime, offering a stark alternative led by young, educated outsiders. In a conversation with the Guardian’s Helen Pidd, Serbian-American journalist Ana Milosavljevic, student activist Tara Blagojević, and incoming MP Milica Jovanović explain how a leaderless, decentralized campaign managed to topple a strongman at the ballot box. The result raises a pressing question: can a movement built on protest and horizontal organizing transition into effective governance? With no single leader and a coalition of academics and activists, the Student List now faces the challenge of turning electoral victory into lasting political change. The world will be watching to see if Serbia’s youth can govern as boldly as they campaigned.