BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Reuters) – Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat to a student-led protest movement in a historic election on Sunday that ends his long grip on power and heralds a new political era in the Balkan country.
Below are reactions to the students’ victory:
MILORAD DODIK, BOSNIAN SERB SEPARATIST AND PRO-RUSSIAN LEADER OF THE ALLIANCE OF INDEPENDENT SOCIAL DEMOCRATS
“I congratulate the Student List on its victory. The citizens of Serbia and all political actors have once again demonstrated the democratic character of one of the oldest state-building nations in Europe.”
“Republika Srpska and Serbia continue forward together. The closest and in the best of relations. In cooperation and support on all issues — regional and international, at every forum and in every institution.”
“The voice of the people is the voice of God. The citizens of Republika Srpska and Serbia have spoken. We move forward — together,” Dodik wrote on X.
EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR ENLARGEMENT, MARTA KOS
“Serbia has raised its voice. After nearly two years of protests for democracy, the rule of law and the fight against corruption, the citizens of Serbia turned out to vote in historic numbers,” Kos wrote in a statement to Slovenian correspondents from Brussels.
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, HEAD OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
“Today, the people of Serbia turned out in record numbers to shape their country’s future. Congratulations to the Student List on its victory in the parliamentary elections. We stand ready to support reforms on the rule of law, media freedom, the fight against corruption and strong democratic institutions, and to work together to advance Serbia’s future in the European Union,” von der Leyen wrote on X social media platform.
SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE ALAIN BERSET
“Congratulations to the Student List of Serbia on your electoral result. Serbian citizens have made their democratic choice. We welcome former President Vučić’s acceptance of the result and commitment to a peaceful democratic transition. Council of Europe stands ready to work with Serbia’s democratically elected leadership to strengthen human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Your perseverance, energy and commitment to European principles and Serbia’s future have brought you this far. You can count on our support,” Berset wrote on X.
MONTENEGRIN PRIME MINISTER MILOJKO SPAJIC
“Today’s events in Serbia are a vivid reminder that the will of the people and their right to freely decide their future are the foundation of every democratic change. The citizens of both countries deserve relations measured by concrete results of cooperation, not by the depth of diplomatic misunderstandings,” Spajic wrote on X.
HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER PETER MAGYAR
“I have just spoken by phone with the leaders of the Students’ List, who won the elections in Serbia, to congratulate them on their victory. I assured them of Hungary’s support. I was delighted to hear how much strength our victory in April had given them during this difficult struggle,” Magyar wrote on X.
(Compiled by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
