Serbia’s strongman leader Vucic concedes defeat to student-led movement in seismic political shift

BELGRADE, Serbia — The long-serving strongman leader of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, conceded defeat Sunday in an election that pitted him and his right-wing party against a diverse student-led opposition movement that spent two years protesting his government.

It was a seismic political shift in the Balkan country where Vucic, who had been endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and who denounced the student movement as a foreign-led attempt to unseat him, led with virtually absolute power for 14 years.

Almost immediately, crowds flooded the streets of the capital Belgrade and other Serbian cities in an outburst of euphoric celebration.

Belgrade resident Dragana Kovacevic was thrilled that “everyone greets with smiles.” She said “we are all too happy, finally we are becoming one normal and free country.”

Maja Stetic said she feels “fantastic.” Vucic’s outster, she said, “means liberation for me, means a new future for us and our children.”

High turnout and gathering tensions marked the highly contested parliamentary election that was a showdown between Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party and university students who, accusing the government of corruption and dismantling democracy, had built a popular following across the country.

Serbia’s 6.4 million voters were electing lawmakers to…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world