Serbia’s long-standing strongman leader, Aleksandar Vucic, admitted defeat on Sunday following an election against a broad, student-led opposition movement that had demonstrated against his government for two years.
asserted
that → stand → years
This represents a major political transformation in the Balkan nation, where Vucic held near-total authority for 14 years.
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Vucic → represent → years
Endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Vucic had condemned the student protesters, framing their campaign as a foreign plot to remove him.
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Vucic → endorse → him
Crowds quickly gathered in the capital, Belgrade, and across other Serbian cities to celebrate the outcome.
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Crowds → gather → outcome
Belgrade resident Dragana Kovacevic delighted in seeing that "everyone greets with smiles."
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everyone → delight → smiles
She stated: "we are all too happy, finally we are becoming one normal and free country."
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we → state → ?
Maja Stetic said she feels “fantastic.”
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she → say → ?
Vucic's ouster, she said, "means liberation for me, means a new future for us and our children.”
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she → say → us
High turnout and gathering tensions marked the highly contested parliamentary election that was a showdown between Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party and university students who, accusing the government of corruption and dismantling democracy, had built a popular following across the country.
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who → mark → country
Serbia's 6.4 million voters were electing lawmakers to the 250-member Parliament.
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voters → elect → Parliament
In conceding the election, Vucic said his party projects that his opponents, the youth-backed Students’ List, will take between 135 and 140 seats while his SNS party will have around 105.
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party → concede → 105
“It is now clear that we have lost and the Students’ List has won,” Vucic told supporters at his party's election night event, though he blamed Serbia's independent media as well as alleged interference by unnamed European countries and an ”American deep state" for the loss.
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he → lose → loss
Belgrade erupts in celebration
Vucic said that his SNS party won around 1.7 million votes compared to the Students’ List, which he said took around 2.2 million.
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he → erupt → million
Radomir Saicic, a Students’ List candidate, said “tonight is not just about results.”
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tonight → say → results
“It is about people who believed and continued to fight,” he said.
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he → believe → people
But victory carries responsibility.”
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victory → carry → responsibility
Supporters of the Students' List drove around Belgrade in cars, honking horns, singing, shouting and chanting: “Aleksandar is gone,” referring to Vucic.
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Aleksandar → drive → Vucic
Crowds swiftly dismantled the fences and tents at a park in central Belgrade where Vucic’s loyalists had been camping for over a year and gathered earlier on Sunday.
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loyalists → dismantle → Sunday
One tent was later set on fire in the now-abandoned camp.
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tent → set → camp
A group of young people could be seen throwing rocks at a withdrawing column of police cars and anti-riot vehicles.
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group → see → cars
The outcome, which Vucic announced only around an hour and a half after polls closed, came after tensions had built as voting progressed during the day.
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voting → announce → day
Police in anti-riot gear had cordoned off an area in central Belgrade around the election commission headquarters.
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Police → cordone → headquarters
Special police vehicles could be seen near the pro-Vucic camp, and large groups of black-clad men had congregated at various points throughout the city.
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groups → see → city
Protests over corruption lead to Vucic's fall
Vucic was seeking become Serbia's prime minister after serving two near-full terms as president.
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Vucic → lead → president
He resigned the presidency last month to lead the campaign.
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He → resign → campaign
Support for the populist had eroded since 16 people were killed in 2024 when a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad.
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canopy → erode → Sad
That set off a wave of youth protests that blamed the collapse on high-level corruption, cronyism and rampant graft during renovation work at the station.
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that → set → station
Dijana Hrka, the mother of one of the victims, was in the crowd celebrating in Belgrade.
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Hrka → celebrate → Belgrade
Sobbing, Hrka told N1 television: “I have been waiting for this moment for two years.”
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I → sob → years
“Now I expect that they will all be held accountable,” she said.
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she → expect → ?
Despite the protests, Vucic retained considerable support among many of Serbia’s voters.
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Vucic → retain → voters
Admirers viewed him as a capable leader who can steer the nation through global uncertainties — the image that was carefully crafted by the mainstream media.
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that → view → media
Student movement campaigned on rebuilding democracy
While the increasingly authoritarian Vucic has routinely outplayed Serbia’s fractured opposition in the past, the leaderless youth movement proved to be a tough opponent that rattled his firm grip on power in Serbia like no one else in the 14 years since his party took office.
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party → campaign → office
The newly formed Students’ List movement was shaped by university students but none actually appeared on the election list.
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none → form → list
Instead, its candidates are little-known experts, athletes, farmers and artists.
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candidates → know → ?
This approach was meant to counter Vucic’s one-man rule and restore a sense of community and solidarity.
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approach → mean → community
The students’ message during the campaign focused on a non-partisan effort to rebuild Serbia’s economy and restore its democracy.
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message → focus → democracy
The students have used youthful energy to attract voters who are disillusioned with local politicians.
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who → use → politicians
Vilified by pro-government media, they cycled and walked through the country to reach voters in rural areas — Vucic’s traditional strongholds.
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they → vilify → areas
The student victory echoed the recent electoral defeat of a Vucic ally in Hungary, where youth participation helped oust the autocratic Viktor Orbán after 16 years and bring in a new pro-European government.
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participation → echo → government
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
