By Ivana Sekularac, Edward McAllister and Aleksandar Vasovic
BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Serbia's Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat to a student-led protest movement in a historic election on Sunday that ends his long grip on power and heralds a new political era in the Balkan country.
Vucic, a populist and nationalist, has dominated Serbian politics as prime minister or president since 2014.
But he called snap elections in September after almost two years of student-led demonstrations against perceived corruption and creeping authoritarianism triggered by the deaths of 16 people when a train station canopy collapsed in the city of Novi Sad in 2024.
"It is clear that we have lost these elections, the Student List has won," Vucic said in a televised speech.
Within moments of his announcement, the streets of Belgrade erupted in celebration before the crowd swelled into the tens of thousands, with cars honking, people dancing and students shouting "victory" and "he's done".
The students' win marks a profound political shift in the country of some 6 million people and is reminiscent of the defeat of Hungary's Viktor Orban in April. It may also offer a blueprint for other student movements across Europe, which have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest, in some cases violently, against poor education standards and a lack of prospects.
Vucic said the students would have between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-seat parliament and that his SNS party will have 105, based on preliminary results.
"Dear Serbia, tonight the voice of the people is being heard," said Radomir Sajcic, a professor at Belgrade University, speaking on behalf of the students at their headquarters.
"Tonight we celebrate victory, tomorrow we build the future."
RECORD TURNOUT SPURS STUDENTS TO VICTORY
Lines of unprecedented length had snaked from polling stations in cities and towns across the country earlier in the day, and even Vucic waited for nearly two hours to vote in Belgrade. Pollsters and the election commission put turnout close to 70%, the highest since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992.
"(The turnout) did not surprise me because there was a large and strong mass that has formed throughout the past two years," said voter Katarina Petrovic.
Vucic, who resigned from his second term as president to run again for prime minister, was a strong incumbent and few in the student protest movement dared believe that he would concede so fast.
Supporters credit him with modernising Serbia's economy and building new highways, railways, schools and hospitals.
"Some businessmen, some people will leave us but our structure is firm, we are very united, very strong, we are used to being in the opposition," Vucic said.
UNCERTAINTY OVER THE STUDENTS' CANDIDATES
Much remains unclear about how the student-backed candidates will fare.
Their list of 250 largely unknown personalities includes university professors, actors and farmers, and is led by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, although it is still unclear who will be prime minister.
The students' domestic agenda aims to root out graft and improve schooling. Political analysts predict some kind of purge of Vucic allies in the police, security services and ministries. But the students have been quieter on their international ambitions.
As Vucic did for years, they will have to juggle relations with China, a major investor, Russia, Serbia's traditional ally and principal supplier of natural gas, and the European Union, Serbia's largest trading partner.
PROTEST MOVEMENT INCREASED PRESSURE
The student-led street protests sparked by the station disaster started small but quickly became the biggest in a generation, calling for Vucic to step down. Rights groups and activists say repression has worsened in the period since.
"For decades the people have been waiting for this time, something to bring hope that we can live freely and by the rules of democracy," said actor Jelena Stupljanin, 48, at a Belgrade polling station.
Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) repeatedly denied accusations of repression, corruption and spying on their opponents. He said the students are funded by foreign agents in Croatia and Montenegro, a charge the students dismiss.
Meanwhile, on the streets of Belgrade, a traditional brass band struck up, and a group including a man in a "students are champions" jumper floated balloons in the shape of the number 3, representing the number of the students' list of candidates.
"We will drink a beer to celebrate, we will get drunk, we are so happy, I have no words to describe how much," said Andjela, a student who was with a group of friends.
(Reporting by Ivana Sekularac, Aleksander Vasovic and Edward McAllister; Editing by Kirsten Donovan )
