In Serbia, a new type of democracy is taking hold, and Europe is watching closely
Serbian students have won a historic parliamentary election, ousting President Aleksandar Vučić and his party after 14 years in power.
The movement now faces a tremendous task – particularly given that it has no hierarchy or leader.
For more than a decade, Vučić’s party had transformed the state, tightening its grip on media, stuffing institutions with loyalists to the party and wielding ministries and Serbian institutions as political tools.
The students won 140 of the 250 seats in parliament, giving a comfortable majority to a slate of candidates who range from academics to athletes, and who were chosen via student assemblies in the lead-up to the election.
The top priority was 'the social and psychological detoxification' of the country.
Underpinning the movement is an 11-point plan, which includes ridding the country of corruption, reforming the judiciary and media and improving access to healthcare.
From streets to parliament
The students’ extraordinary feat came as Europe has been rocked by weeks of protests. From Porto to Paris and Madrid to Milan, analysts have pointed to the common thread that weaves through the diverse protests: a view that the social contract has broken down, leaving younger generations bracing for a future in which they will be worse off than their parents.
The election result in Serbia lays bare the power of these protests to reshape politics, postdoctoral researcher Aleksandar Matković noted this week.
The world should be watching closely: it may be witnessing the start of a very different kind of politics.
It was, as a Guardian editorial noted, 'one of the most remarkable election outcomes in recent European history'.
Their win sparked joy across Serbia, sending tens of thousands of jubilant revelers on to streets across the country.
It’s very strange that on the very streets where the police beat us, on the streets where we retreated countless times in the face of the gendarmerie, we are now standing here as the victors.
Hours later supporters of the movement appeared again, this time to clean up after a night of raucous celebrations.
EU reaction and future steps
As EU officials sent their congratulations this week to the students, whose policy platform promises to put the question of future EU membership to a referendum, a note of optimism laced their messages.
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.
Marta Kos, the EU’s enlargement commissioner, was more direct.
A new chapter can begin for Serbia. The door to the EU is open, and we are ready to move forward together.
The country applied to join the European Union in 2009, but the process has largely stalled in recent years. Now, much like in neighbouring Hungary, the elections have ushered in the possibility of a fresh start along with hope of a democratic resurgence in central Europe.
It was a stunning reversal of fortunes for the students who last year felt they had to cycle more than 1,300km (780 miles) to make their voices heard.
Now – after nearly two years of protests that were met with detentions on trumped-up evidence, illegal surveillance, threats and job losses – it seems they might have a chance to fulfil their wish of bringing Europe to Serbia.
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