Serbia’s Vucic resigns as president to seek prime minister’s office

Aleksandar Vucic has resigned as president of Serbia to contest October snap elections as a candidate for prime minister. Vucic announced the decision on Sunday at the presidential palace in Belgrade, where supporters had gathered. He said he would hand over his duties to the speaker of parliament the following morning.

The election was a central demand of a student-led protest movement that began after a canopy collapsed at Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, killing 16 people. The protests, which were widely linked by demonstrators to corruption, became some of Serbia’s largest since 2000. Vucic had repeatedly promised a snap poll without setting a date.

Earlier this month, he called an election for October 25, citing what he described as major turbulence in the domestic political scene. He was first elected president in 2017 and re-elected in May 2022. Although the law did not require him to leave office, Vucic said he wanted to contest the election as an ordinary citizen.

He now leads the electoral list of his right-wing populist Serbian Progressive Party and is its prime-ministerial candidate. Before resigning, Vucic used his constitutional powers to pardon 49 people, including students and party loyalists suspected of offences during the protests. He said 23 of those pardoned were connected to the events of the previous 18 months.

Parliament speaker Ana Brnabic becomes acting president for up to three months. A presidential election must be called during that period.