Europe’s rightward shift has suffered another unexpected setback. Following Viktor Orbán’s defeat in Hungary in April, a student-backed movement has now ended Aleksandar Vučić’s more than decade-long political dominance in neighboring Serbia, offering a reminder that the rise of nationalist and right-wing forces across the continent is not inevitable.
The Serbian election marks a historic breakthrough. The Student List, born out of mass protests against corruption and government accountability failures, secured an outright parliamentary majority in October 25 elections, while Vučić’s alliance was pushed into opposition. The result followed nearly two years of demonstrations triggered by the deadly collapse of a railway station canopy in 2024, which killed 16 people. For a movement that emerged from university campuses rather than established political parties, the achievement is extraordinary.
A Challenge to Europe’s Political Momentum
The implications extend beyond Serbia. In Germany, France and the Netherlands, established political forces have struggled to contain the advance of the right. Hungary’s political turnover and now Serbia’s electoral earthquake provide a counterpoint to the idea that conservative nationalism has become an unstoppable European tide.
The Serbian experience also offers a lesson in political mobilization. Rather than relying on an established opposition discredited by years of failure, students in this tiny Balkan nation channelled public anger into a broader campaign centered on corruption, accountability and the rule of law. They managed to unite voters around a common demand for change.
Yet the comparison with Hungary has its limits. Serbia’s Student List is not simply a conventional liberal or pro-European party. Its principal unifying force has been opposition to the existing system, and its positions on European integration and foreign policy remain less clear than its anti-corruption message.
Geopolitical Questions Remain
For Brussels, Vučić’s defeat opens the possibility of a reset in relations with Belgrade. Serbia’s EU accession process has stalled amid concerns over democratic standards and its continued refusal to align fully with European sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. A new government could improve cooperation with the EU, but a change of leadership does not automatically translate into a change of strategic direction.
Serbia’s ties with Moscow, its relationship with China and the unresolved Kosovo question will continue to complicate its foreign policy. The Student List must now show whether it can turn its electoral mandate into institutional reform while defining a credible position on these issues.
The challenge is formidable. Governing requires more than mobilizing public frustration: it demands experienced leadership, workable policies and difficult compromises. The movement must also avoid reproducing the concentration of power it campaigned against.
Serbia’s election is therefore a source of hope, not a guarantee of transformation. At a time when many Europeans fear the consolidation of right-wing power, it demonstrates that entrenched political systems can be challenged. However, whether that breakthrough leads to lasting democratic renewal will depend on what comes next.