Serbia's populist strongman Aleksandar Vucic dominated the Balkan country's politics for 14 years.

The long-ruling authoritarian leader on Sunday conceded the defeat of his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party to a grassroots movement of university students who led protests for almost two years against him before unseating him in a historic change of government.

The 56-year-old political veteran easily outplayed political opponents in the past and thought he could do it again.