Serbia after the vote: Back to fundamentals
marianna.liana…
Thu, 10/22/2026 – 16:54
5 minutes
‘We lost the election.’ With these words, Aleksandar Vučić acknowledged defeat on election night in Serbia. Turnout reached almost 69%, approaching the historic levels of September 2000, when elections brought an end to Slobodan Milošević’s rule. Preliminary results indicate that the student-backed list received around 53% of the vote, compared with around 39% for the list led by Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
High turnout reflected the importance of the vote. While the elections signalled a clear demand for change at home, their implications for Serbia’s foreign policy remain uncertain. A new government could pursue more constructive relations with the EU. However, significant shifts in Serbia’s position on Kosovo*, sanctions against Russia or its strategic ties with China appear unlikely in the near term. Rather than expecting an immediate geopolitical realignment, the EU and its Member States should seize this opportunity to support Serbia’s democratic transition and build a more durable partnership. Political change in Serbia could also help ease …read more
