Serbia's student-led opposition defeats Vučić in parliamentary election
With almost all polling stations counted, the student-led opposition movement leads Serbia's parliamentary election with over 52% of the vote. President Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat, raising hopes for a fresh start in relations with the EU.
Serbia woke up on Monday to a new political reality after the parliamentary election. A grassroots opposition movement led by students has beaten the bloc of Aleksandar Vučić, the country's long-time authoritarian leader. Vučić conceded defeat, while opposition supporters celebrated outside the parliament building in Belgrade. The result has raised hopes for a new chapter in Serbia's relations with the European Union and other partners.
Election results
With 96.9% of polling stations processed, the Student List has 52.6% of the vote, while Vučić's bloc has 39.22%. According to a projection by the CeSID research centre, the students will hold 140 seats in the new parliament, well above the 126 needed for a majority. Vučić's bloc is projected to take 103 seats. No other party passed the 3% threshold, and national minority parties will take the remaining seven seats.
International observers are due to present their preliminary report on the vote in the early afternoon.
Other developments in Europe
In Bulgaria, the first round of the presidential election saw a record-low turnout of just 22%. The second round will be held next Sunday.
France and Italy had another turbulent weekend of protests. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is due to meet student unions in the afternoon, in talks that could be pivotal for the future of the demonstrations.
In Paris, defence ministers of the E5 group – France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom – are meeting to discuss Ukraine. Meanwhile, Slovakia's foreign minister Juraj Blanár is in Moscow for energy talks with Russia.
