Serbian student movement wins parliamentary elections as Vučić concedes defeat

Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat after tense parliamentary elections in Serbia, where a student movement backed by street protests won in a landslide. Politico Europe reports the outcome, and its headline argues that the result exposes the cost of the European Union's bet on Vučić.

From the streets to the ballot box

Politico Europe previously reported that Gen Z students spent two years protesting in the streets and now want to lead the government. The election result suggests that the movement has turned its protests into political success.

The backdrop in EU–Serbia relations

The source also points to an earlier event that showed the gap between Serbia's EU ambitions and its political reality. General Ratko Mladić, who was convicted of Europe's first genocide since World War II, was buried with military and religious honors, which caused alarm in Brussels. Mladić died in The Hague aged 84. Armed forces under his command murdered, tortured and displaced thousands of Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats.

In Politico Europe's assessment, the election outcome puts a spotlight on how the EU's relationship with Belgrade was tied to Vučić personally. Detailed election results and the make-up of a new government are not given in the source material.