Serbia's student-backed opposition faces its first major decision after winning the parliamentary election: choosing who will lead the next government and determining how quickly it can take office. Ilija Srdanovic, a cardiologist and professor at the University of Novi Sad, has emerged as a potential prime minister, but the movement has yet to officially announce its nominee.

The Student List secured 52.65% of the vote, compared with 39.22% for the United Serbia list led by Aleksandar Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party, according to updated preliminary figures released by Serbia's Republic Electoral Commission on Oct. 26. The result gives the student-backed bloc a projected parliamentary majority, potentially allowing it to form a government without coalition negotiations.

However, the movement's victory has left important questions unanswered, including who will receive key ministerial portfolios and how its collective leadership will translate into a functioning administration.

Srdanovic, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Novi Sad, emerged as a prominent figure during the election campaign and is viewed as a leading potential candidate for the premiership.

Unlike Vučić's political bloc, which identified him as its prime ministerial candidate before the election, the Student List deliberately avoided presenting a single figure as the face of its campaign. Instead, it emphasised a collective movement bringing together academics, doctors, workers and other professionals.

That approach helped distinguish the movement from conventional political parties, but it has also created uncertainty over who will assume executive responsibility following the election.

Srdanovic is not a confirmed prime minister-designate. The movement has yet to formally announce its choice, and the distribution of senior government positions remains unclear.

Other prominent figures associated with the student-backed bloc include former central bank governor Dejan Soskic and Belgrade University professor Radomir Sajcic. Their roles in a future administration have not been confirmed.

The timetable for forming the next government depends on the announcement of final election results and the subsequent establishment of the National Assembly.

Under Serbia's parliamentary procedures, the new assembly must be constituted within 30 days of the final results being announced. The government must then be formed within 90 days after the assembly is constituted.

These deadlines provide a framework for the transition, but they do not establish a confirmed date for the new administration to take office.

The Student List's projected majority could simplify the process by removing the need for lengthy negotiations with other political blocs. Nevertheless, the movement must still settle on its prime ministerial candidate, determine cabinet responsibilities and complete the formal parliamentary procedures.

The final election results will also be important in establishing the definitive distribution of seats in the 250-member legislature.

The election represents a significant setback for Vučić, whose political camp has dominated Serbia since the Serbian Progressive Party came to power in 2012. Vučić served as prime minister before becoming president in 2017.

The Student List's victory followed nearly two years of protests sparked by the 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. Demonstrations demanding accountability developed into a broader movement against alleged corruption and concerns about the independence of state institutions.

The Student List campaigned on promises to fight corruption and organised crime, improve living standards, strengthen education, increase employment opportunities and protect media freedom.

Its challenge now extends beyond replacing the previous political leadership. The incoming administration will face pressure to demonstrate that its campaign commitments can translate into concrete institutional changes.

Serbia is also preparing for a separate presidential election following Vučić's resignation from the presidency on Sept. 27.

Ana Brnabic, president of the National Assembly, is temporarily holding the presidential office. According to the reported timetable, an extraordinary presidential election must be held no later than Dec. 27.

The presidency is directly elected and largely ceremonial, while the prime minister leads the government. The immediate political focus therefore remains on the Student List's choice of prime minister and its ability to establish a functioning cabinet.

The Student List's election victory gives it the opportunity to pursue the reforms that fuelled its rise. Yet its collective structure, which helped unite voters around a common cause, could face its toughest test as the movement moves from campaigning to governing.

The decision over the premiership will offer the first indication of how the movement intends to organise its leadership and divide political responsibilities.

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