In a major political setback, Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic acknowledged on Sunday that the student-supported opposition movement had won the snap election in the country, marking an unexpected turn in the country’s political landscape.
Vucic had stepped down as president last month in an attempt to position himself for a return as prime minister.
Vucic’s 14-year dominance faced an unprecedented challenge from the movement, despite his backing from Russian President Vladimir Putin and repeated accusations that foreign interests were orchestrating efforts to remove him from power, according to an AP report. Vucic stepped down from the presidency and triggered an election in an effort to secure another term in power as prime minister, a strategy that was previously employed by Putin in 2008.
In 2008, Putin used a political arrangement called “tandemocracy” or the “castling” move. “This is the victory of the conviction that Serbia can and will do better,” said Radomir Saicic, one of the movement’s leaders, as quoted by Bloomberg. “We call on all citizens to act peacefully and in dignified manner,” he said. “We didn’t fight for months to lose it today.”
The election marked a turning point in Serbian politics, as the student-led opposition movement, which had spent nearly two years challenging the government, emerged as a formidable force. Russia ’s constitution initially limited presidents to two consecutive terms. He stepped down as president after his second term ended. He appointed his loyal ally, Dmitry Medvedev, to run for president. Putin then became the PM.
