(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 29 OTT - After the 'Student List' won the Serbian elections, Aleksandar Vučić reportedly deployed thousands of police officers and 'thugs' outside Parliament to protest the results. However, he was reportedly persuaded to abandon this display of force by an influential European leader, possibly his friend Viktor Orbán. This account, which confirms suspicions already expressed by students that same Sunday evening, comes from the British newspaper "The Times". According to Serbian sources, the Serbian leader was on the verge of staging a violent coup to cling to power before making a surprise surrender on Sunday nite. One of the sources cited—and later reported by Serbian opposition media—is a former head of the Serbian police's counter-terrorism unit, who stated: "On Sunday, 4,000 police officers and 3,000 'thugs' were sent to the centre of Belgrade to 'protect the regime.' I am 100% certain he intended to reject the result." According to the source, Vučić had high-level discussions with European governments over the phone. According to a spokesperson for Vučić, the police presence in Belgrade was a response to protester violence, not an attempt to consolidate power. Sandro Gozi, a Member of the European Parliament and the leader of the European Democratic Party, stated: "On Sunday, we received alarming reports from diplomatic sources indicating that he was prepared to fight and attempt a coup d'état." Radomir Saičić, a prominent Student List candidate and potential high-ranking official in the next Serbian government, claimed that Vučić initially planned to resort to violence but later changed his mind. "They had a plan to overturn the vote using brute force in the event of an uncertain outcome, but I understand he received several phone calls—including from law enforcement—that persuaded him to back down; otherwise, things would have 'turned out very badly' for him," he added. According to unconfirmed rumours circulating in Belgrade and reported by The Times, Viktor Orbán persuaded him to back down. (ANSA).