How did a student-led movement defeat Aleksandar Vučić in Serbia's election?

Rory Stewart said Aleksandar Vučić, who controlled much of the Serbian media, called an early election so he could stay in power as prime minister, and then lost to a movement with no leader at all. Alastair Campbell traced it to protests over the canopy collapse at Novi Sad railway station that killed 16 people. The students refused to stand themselves and fielded teachers, economists and doctors, winning over 50% of the vote and more than 140 of 250 seats. Afterwards the main Serbian TV station apologised to the nation on air for failing to hold the government to account.

• Stewart warned the winners include ethno-nationalists and people who want sanctions on Russia lifted, so they are not a pro-European movement.
• The list's founding document calls Kosovo an inalienable part of Serbia.
• Russian media, as translated by the BBC's Steve Rosenberg, warned that Serbia depends on Russian gas through TurkStream for 90% of its needs.

▸In their words

“He lost to a group of anonymous people.” Rory Stewart · at 42:36 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on The Rest Is Politics (2026-10-28). Read the whole episode summary →

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