Serbia’s Gen Z Movement Wins Election: Who Could Lead the New Government?
Serbia is facing a major political transition after a student-led opposition movement defeated the ruling alliance associated with Aleksandar Vučić in the snap parliamentary election held on October 25, 2026. The victory follows nearly two years of protests against alleged corruption and demands for greater government accountability.
The student-backed Student List secured approximately 52.7 percent of the vote, according to results reported with nearly 99 percent of ballots counted. The movement was projected to win 139 seats in Serbia’s 250-member parliament, giving it a clear majority. Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party-led alliance received about 39.2 percent, and the longtime political leader conceded defeat.
However, the election victory has raised a new question: who will lead the country’s next government? The movement built its campaign around collective decision-making rather than a single political figure, and it has not formally announced its choice for prime minister.
A Leaderless Movement Faces Its First Major Test
The Student List emerged from a student-led protest movement that grew into a nationwide campaign for political accountability. Rather than building its public image around one prominent leader, the movement presented a broad group of candidates from different professional backgrounds, including academics, doctors, farmers and cultural figures.
This structure helped the movement emphasise its demand for more transparent institutions and a break from established political practices. It also created a challenge once the campaign moved from street protests to parliamentary politics.
Now that the movement has won a majority, it must agree on who will lead the government, appoint ministers and translate its campaign promises into policies. The new parliamentary group will also need to coordinate its different voices and establish a decision-making structure that can function within Serbia’s political institutions.
The election result represents a significant change after more than a decade of political dominance by Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party. However, winning an election and governing effectively are different tasks. The movement’s next decisions will determine how it manages that transition.
Who Could Become Serbia’s Next Prime Minister?
One prominent figure is Ilija Srđanović, a cardiologist and professor at the University of Novi Sad who headed the student-backed electoral list. His position makes him an important figure in the movement, and he has been mentioned in reporting as a possible candidate to lead the next government.
However, the movement has not officially confirmed him as its prime ministerial nominee. His prominence should therefore not be interpreted as a final decision.
The Student List has deliberately avoided presenting one person as the face of the entire campaign. This approach reflects its emphasis on collective leadership and participation by people outside established political parties.
Other members of the electoral list could also play important roles in the new administration, particularly in areas connected to the movement’s priorities. The allocation of senior government positions, including the ministries responsible for justice, finance and internal affairs, will be closely watched.
Until the movement announces its choices, the identity of Serbia’s next prime minister remains uncertain. The final arrangement will depend on internal discussions and the formal process for establishing the new government.
How the Protests Began
The student movement gained momentum after a concrete canopy collapsed at the railway station in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, killing 16 people. The disaster triggered public anger and demands for accountability over the station’s renovation and the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
Students initially called for a transparent investigation and accountability for those responsible. The demonstrations subsequently developed into a broader movement against alleged corruption and concerns about the independence of public institutions.
The protests continued for nearly two years and attracted support from people beyond university campuses. Students and their supporters eventually demanded an early parliamentary election, arguing that political change was necessary to address the problems highlighted by the tragedy.
The government and Vučić’s supporters rejected accusations that they were responsible for systemic wrongdoing. Nevertheless, the protests became one of the most significant challenges to the ruling political establishment in recent years.
The transition from demonstrations to an organised electoral list allowed the movement to turn its public campaign into a direct contest for parliamentary power.
What Does the Movement Want to Change?
Fighting corruption is at the centre of the Student List’s programme. The movement has also pledged to improve education, strengthen public institutions, protect media freedom, support employment and raise living standards.
Its supporters view the election result as an opportunity to improve accountability and make public administration more transparent. The movement has argued that citizens should have a greater role in political decision-making rather than relying exclusively on established parties.
Turning those promises into practical reforms will require legislative action, functioning public institutions and cooperation across the new parliamentary majority. The movement will also face scrutiny over how it handles investigations into alleged wrongdoing and whether its policies deliver measurable improvements.
The scale of the victory gives the student-backed candidates a strong parliamentary position, but it does not remove the administrative and political challenges associated with governing. The movement must now demonstrate that its collective structure can support consistent decisions and effective implementation.
What Happens Next?
The next steps involve confirming the final election results, establishing the new National Assembly and beginning the process of forming a government. Serbia’s parliament must be constituted within the legal timetable following the final results, while the government must be formed within the period set by the country’s constitutional framework.
Because the Student List has secured a projected parliamentary majority, it may not need a coalition agreement with the main defeated ruling alliance to form a government. However, it will still need to decide on the prime minister and cabinet, and establish how its leadership will operate.
The political transition also has implications for Serbia’s international relationships. The country has maintained ties with the European Union, Russia and China, and the new government will face decisions about foreign policy as well as domestic reform. The student movement has placed greater emphasis on its internal reform agenda than on detailed foreign policy commitments during the campaign.
A New Phase for Serbia
The Student List’s victory marks a historic opportunity for a movement that began with protests over a national tragedy and developed into a challenge to the country’s established political leadership.
The immediate question is no longer whether the movement can compete electorally, but whether it can govern as a unified political force. Ilija Srđanović is among the figures being discussed as a possible prime minister, but no formal appointment has been announced.
For now, Serbia’s political future depends on the movement’s next decisions: selecting its leadership, forming a government and demonstrating that its promises of accountability and institutional reform can be put into practice. The election result has changed the political landscape, but the success of the transition will be judged by what the new administration does next.
