Serbia's Vucic promises return after losing 250-seat parliament

Aleksandar Vucic, the former president of Serbia, posted a social media video on October 31 in which he declared his intention to return to power. In the 72-second clip, he appeared alongside Viktor Orban, the former prime minister of Hungary, and the two men smiled at the camera before Vucic stated, "We'll be back!"

Vucic has not held executive power since losing the parliamentary elections held on October 25. This defeat marks the first time in over a decade that he has been out of office, having served as prime minister and then president since 2014. In a separate video published on November 1, Vucic acknowledged that a quick return is unlikely. He said, "People are saying that I'm planning my return to power. I know that this is impossible in the short term," but added that he planned to defeat the Student List candidates.

The Student List won 140 of the 250 seats in the Serbian parliament. Their lead candidate, cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, told RFE/RL after the vote that Vucic had "passed into political history." The party grew out of protests following a fatal railway station collapse in Novi Sad in November 2024. Students alleged that shoddy work caused by government corruption led to the accident. The party’s platform focused on fighting corruption and strengthening independent institutions.

Dusan Spasojevic, a politics professor at Belgrade University, described Vucic's recent behavior as an attempt to prevent his political structure from collapsing. He noted that Vucic is acting bravely to encourage his base. Spasojevic told RFE/RL that the coming weeks are critical as the country transitions between governments. He believes Vucic's subordinates will likely face legal proceedings first, but he argued there is enough evidence that Vucic rushed the work on the Novi Sad railway station, a project with Chinese investment, for the former president to face trial.

Calls for institutional cleanup have increased since the election. On November 1, two senior police chiefs were arrested, although the prosecutor's office stated the arrests were not connected to the election results. Jovo Bakic, a Student List representative, spoke to Croatian public broadcaster HRT on October 27. He referred to Vucic's "criminal activity" and demanded a thorough investigation into the former president's connections with organized crime.

Dragan Popovic, head of the Policy Center think tank in Belgrade, said it would be difficult for prosecutors to avoid targeting Vucic as the head of an "autocratic pyramid." However, Popovic noted that the evidence available might result in charges that are fewer than citizens expect. He predicted the legal process would be complicated and lengthy, adding, "Justice is always slow."

Vucic remains the key figure in the Serbian Progressive Party. Since the election, he has stated he will revamp the party's leadership to prepare for a period in opposition. The Student List may take time to form a new government due to a lack of a clear leadership structure. The political situation remains fluid as both sides prepare for the next phase of the dispute.