Vucic Accuses EU and US “Deep State” of Interfering in Serbia’s Elections

By Staff, Agencies

Serbia’s student-led opposition is leading in Sunday’s snap parliamentary election, according to preliminary results prompting former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to accuse European powers and anti-Trump elements in the US of meddling in the vote to “bring down a sovereign country.”

Figures released by the Republic Electoral Commission [RIK] early Monday showed the opposition Student List leads with 51.84% of the vote, compared with 39.77% for Vucic’s United Serbia coalition, with nearly 93% of polling stations reporting.

The preliminary figures were broadly in line with projections published overnight by pollster Ipsos and election monitor CeSID, which placed the Student List at 52.9% and Vucic’s coalition at 38.8%, based on their stratified sample.

Speaking earlier on election night, Vucic accused foreign powers of attempting to engineer his political downfall, describing the vote as the “verification of a revolution” backed by what he called “various European countries and the American deep state,” which he said opposed US President Donald Trump.

“I congratulate them, although they are merely the executors, the executors of dirty work devised by someone else to bring down a sovereign country,” Vucic said, referring to the student-led opposition.

“You have succeeded for the moment. For how long? We shall see,” he added.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa swiftly congratulated the Student List, publishing nearly identical messages on X.

Both European leaders pledged the European Union’s support for reforms and efforts to advance Serbia’s integration into the bloc.

Vucic, meanwhile, warned that a new government could impose sanctions on Russia within months, although opposition representatives have insisted that Belgrade’s policy toward Moscow would remain unchanged.

The former Serbian leader nevertheless pledged to respect the electorate’s decision and continue his political struggle from the opposition, dismissing speculation that he would flee the country.

Rejecting speculation that he might leave the country, Vucic declared: “I love Serbia. I will never leave Serbia.”

He also insisted that his political movement would remain united and continue its activities despite the election setback.

The election follows nearly two years of political unrest sparked by the deadly collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people and fueled allegations of corruption and failures in safety oversight. Vucic resigned as president on September 27 to participate in the parliamentary race.