Serbia’s Student List faces a formidable test: turning nearly two years of anti-corruption protests into a functioning government after its election victory over former President Aleksandar Vučić’s alliance. Preliminary results give the movement, which has no clear leader, 52.71% of the vote and 140 of 250 seats, enough to govern alone. It has not named a candidate for prime minister. Cardiologist Ilija Srdanović is among possible contenders. The incoming government must tackle entrenched interests, restore judicial independence, improve education and address political influence on public media. The movement emerged after a railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad in November 2024 that ultimately killed 16 people. Foreign policy may prove divisive. Serbia seeks European Union membership while maintaining close relations with Russia. Parliament must convene within 30 days of the announcement of final results, followed by a 90-day government-formation deadline. Michael Carpenter, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said: “Now comes the hard part. Governing a country is difficult.”
