Trams and traffic halted by crowds. Tens of thousands of people choking the city’s main boulevards; the air thick with smoke; a man on a car waving a flare.

Familiar-sounding scenes after a month of sometimes violent protests across European cities as students take to the streets calling for better education standards and better prospects.

Except, on Sunday night in Serbia’s capital Belgrade, students were not protesting but celebrating an election victory after long-time ⁠ruler Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat to a student-backed list of candidates in parliamentary elections.

It was the culmination of a two-year, peaceful protest movement that called for Vucic to step down and an end to what they said is rampant corruption in the Balkan country - a charge Vucic denies.

The students’ win marks a profound political shift in the country of some 6 million people and shows what power younger generation have when they are able to harness widespread discontent.

Tomorrow, the disparate group of 250 student-backed candidates will have to turn towards ruling, but ⁠Sunday evening was a time to party.

At their headquarters, the unknown candidates, many of them lawyers, professors, actors or farmers, hugged and cheered in near ⁠disbelief at what they had achieved.

“The people have won! The people defeated a dictator! The people will lead Serbia!” said Nebojsa Cosic while waving a flag on the street.