Student-backed candidates won 52.7% of votes, ahead of Vucic\u2019s alliance on 39.2%, with 99% counted
\n Belgrade
\nSerbia woke to a new era on Monday after a student-backed protest movement unseated longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic in a historic landslide election that sparked nationwide celebrations, although few had an idea of how they would govern.
\nTens of thousands took to the streets of Belgrade and other cities and towns across Serbia after Vucic conceded defeat late on Sunday, capping two years of peaceful anti-government protests calling for the populist ruler to step down.
\nWith almost 99% of votes counted, the students\u2019 candidates had secured a commanding 52.7% of the vote, according to the State Election Commission, versus 39.2% for Vucic\u2019s Serbia Progressive Party (SNS)-led alliance.
\nThat gives the students 139 seats in the 250-seat parliament, leaving the SNS alliance with 97, and the remainder held by minority parties. The constitution allows up to 90 days for the creation of a government, once the parliament is convened after the announcement of final results by the State Election Commission.
\n\u201cI thought it was unbelievable, I still do not believe it. It was too long, and (Vucic) was pressuring us for a long, long time,\u201d said university administrator Marijana Radovanovic Pajovic.
\nVucic dominated Serbian politics as prime minister or president from 2014. But he was swept from power by a list of student-backed candidates born out of anti-corruption protests following the deaths of 16 people in the collapse of a train station canopy in the city of Novi Sad.<\/p>\n
Profound political shift
\nThe students\u2019 win marks a profound political shift in the country of some 6 million people and is reminiscent of the defeat of Hungary\u2019s Viktor Orban in April. It may also offer inspiration to other student movements that have cropped up across Europe in recent weeks demanding better education standards and prospects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Student-backed candidates won 52.7% of votes, ahead of Vucic\u2019s alliance on 39.2%, with 99% counted Belgrade Serbia woke to a new era on Monday after a student-backed protest movement unseated longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic in a historic landslide election that sparked nationwide celebrations, although few had an idea of how they would govern. Tens of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":574495,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-574484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n