Reactions to Serbia: Costa and von der Leyen offer support for reforms, Vučić claims the win had foreign backing
Vučić predicted sanctions on Russia by March or April, and observers compare his loss with Orbán's in April.
After Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat, quick reactions arrived from Brussels. European Council President António Costa said the result would help Serbia move toward EU membership and that the EU is ready to support reforms in the rule of law, media freedom and the fight against corruption. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged similar support, according to RFE/RL.
US Congressman Joe Wilson, a Republican, said the Serbian people “earned this incredible victory through sheer determination”. The White House, according to RFE/RL, did not respond immediately. So the first reaction from Washington comes from a lawmaker, not from the administration.
Vučić gave a completely different assessment. He described the result as “the legitimization of a revolution carried out by the people with direct support from various European countries and the American deep state”. That is his claim, and the report offers no evidence for it. The students earlier denied claims that they are funded by foreign agents.
Vučić also predicted that “by March or April you will have sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation”. It is not explained what that prediction is based on. He maintained close ties with Moscow and Beijing, so analyst Ivana Stradner of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies assessed that Russia and China “stand to lose a key ally” in Europe. That is her assessment.
Stradner also warned that “removing Vučić is only the beginning” and urged Serbia to dismantle the system of corruption and authoritarianism that sustained his rule. Some observers, according to RFE/RL, compare his loss with that of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in April.
What does it mean for North Macedonia? Serbia is a neighbor and trading partner. I did not find reactions from Macedonian authorities and parties in the checked reports, so we do not report them. Possible consequences, such as changes in regional relations, depend on what kind of government the Student List forms.
What is not known? It is not known what foreign policy the new government will pursue, or how it will treat Russia, Kosovo and the EU, since the program is not described in detail in the report. It is also not known whether the result will be confirmed finally and without challenge. The role of Vučić is also unclear.
What does it mean? Positive European reactions show an expectation of reforms, while Vučić's claims show that sharp political polarization follows. Real change will be measured after the government is formed and by its first steps.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 26, 2026
