A turning point after 14 years of Vučić

A student-led movement in Serbia has reportedly won an election, according to analysis aired on France 24's Spotlight, in what would end Aleksandar Vučić's long hold on power. Before this serbia election result, Vučić had dominated Serbian politics for 14 years. Helena Ivanov, Associate Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, described the election as a historic turning point in Serbian politics.

How the movement built momentum

Ivanov said the movement operated outside conventional party structures and sustained its momentum for two years before an electoral breakthrough she characterised as decisive. On how the victory came about, she argued that Serbia now stands as a precedent. The Henry Jackson Society, where she works, is a London-based foreign policy and national security think tank advocating liberal democracy.

Vučić's foreign-powers allegation disputed

President Vučić alleged that foreign powers orchestrated the protests, a claim Ivanov disputed. She placed the result within a wider regional debate about democratic accountability and corruption, drawing parallels with Hungary.

A warning beyond Serbia

The vučić election defeat, if confirmed, could echo beyond Serbia. Ivanov suggested the movement's success could inspire anti-corruption protests in Albania and elsewhere, and said that politicians in Albania, and indeed anywhere in the world, should be afraid.

In her view, the result shows the ballot box remains a potential instrument of accountability even against entrenched power. A single pencil and a piece of paper, she noted, are enough for a voter to choose someone else.