This past Sunday, October 25, marked a monumental political development in the Republic of Serbia, as longtime political leader Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) were defeated in snap parliamentary elections.

What is particularly notable about this defeat is that it came at the hands of a student-led, anti-corruption group, aptly named The Student List (Studentska lista). The student-led coalition won 140 out of 250 parliamentary seats, gaining 52.65% of the seats in the body.

This is especially significant given Vučić’s longstanding relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the support he has received from Moscow. Vučić’s authoritarian government style has also led to the dominance of state-controlled and aligned media. With all these challenges in place, how did The Student List persevere through them, and what implications does it have for grassroots democracy around the world?

The Student List came about after protests concerning the 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. It was suspected by many Serbian citizens that corruption and inadequate oversight had contributed to the catastrophe, and students began to demand accountability from the government.

The early formations of the Student List organized student demonstrations and blockades at universities in Serbia, demanding transparency from Vučić’s government. This unrest later developed into a larger movement, in which students began to use university assemblies, known as Plenum, to choose and deliberate on who the candidates should be. 

In typical grassroots and anti-corruption fashion, the Student List picked those who were outside the establishment politics in Serbia. Some of the candidates included cardiologist and University of Novi Sad Professor Ilija Srdanović, former Serbian basketball player and former EuroLeague Basketball President Dejan Bodiroga, and economist and former Serbian National Bank Governor Dejan Šoškić. 

Perhaps the most important realization from Serbia’s election is the new possibility of increased grassroots democracy and youth involvement in politics. Rather than stopping at demonstrations, these students have now built something real. They fostered a group of candidates that are truly in politics for service and the betterment of the republic. This landmark outcome offers a reminder that political participation does not have to begin with large donors, established parties, or career politicians. Although The Student List has a long way to go and must still prove that it can turn its electoral success into meaningful reforms against corruption, its rise shows something more important: that people care about doing the right thing and holding those in office accountable if need be. 

Acknowledgement: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author, not necessarily Our National Conversation as a whole.