Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Saturday that he will resign within weeks and that the country will hold early presidential and parliamentary elections, after 18 months of anti-government protests.
The announcement by Vucic, who has been in power as president or prime minister for 12 years, comes amid ongoing student-led anti-corruption protests. The demonstrations were sparked by the collapse of a concrete shelter at a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people.
Protesters, the opposition and human rights organizations claim that the tragedy at the railway station is evidence of mismanagement of construction projects and corruption in the government.
"I will only be president for a few more weeks, then I will resign," Vučić told thousands of his supporters at a pro-government rally in Belgrade. His second and final term as president was set to end in mid-2027.
Vučić said he would help the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) win the presidential and early parliamentary elections, which were originally scheduled for 2027.
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"My proposal is that our list, the winning list in the upcoming elections, be called 'United Serbia'," he declared.
He did not specify when he would resign or when he would dissolve parliament, a necessary step for holding early elections.
Resignation does not mean leaving power.
Analysts believe that Vučić's resignation does not necessarily mean the end of his political influence. If the SNS wins the parliamentary elections, he could return to the post of prime minister, continuing to maintain control over power.
According to Warsaw-based analyst Radivoje Grujic, Vucic is likely to appoint an ally to the presidency while taking over the government himself.
"This is not the end of Vučić at all. He already has a plan and it certainly does not include retiring from politics – quite the opposite," Grujić said.
However, the timing of the resignation announcement suggests that the protests, the largest since the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000, had an influence on this decision.
Just a few days ago, students in Novi Sad commemorated the victims of the tragedy and called for early elections. Another student protest has been announced for Sunday in Kraljevo.
Student movement activists and the opposition have announced their intention to challenge Vučić and the SNS in the upcoming elections.
"By resigning and announcing early presidential and parliamentary elections, Vučić is trying to forestall his inevitable downfall, as a result of protests and the student movement, which today enjoys more support than he does," said Savo Manojlović, leader of the opposition Movement for Change.
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Vučić does not rule out returning as prime minister
Although the position of president in Serbia is largely ceremonial, Vučić has exerted great influence over the party and government.
He has previously hinted that he may return to the post of prime minister, while recently some of his closest allies have publicly supported this idea.
In an interview with Reuters in February, Vučić said he had not yet decided what he would do after the end of his presidential term, but did not rule out the possibility of returning to party politics or taking the post of prime minister.
"I would like to be less involved in politics or not at all, but preserving my political legacy may require a certain commitment. We'll see," he had declared.
Accusations against protesters
During the rally in Belgrade, held in scorching temperatures and attended by supporters from across Serbia, Vučić accused students and anti-government protesters of trying to destroy the country and of collaborating with unidentified foreign powers. The protesters have denied these accusations.
"For the thousand and one times, we extend our hand to you. We forgive you for everything you have done, but we are not naive and we will not forget what was done to Serbia over the past year," he said.
Serbia between the European Union and Russia
Serbia is a candidate country for membership in the European Union, but continues to maintain close relations with Russia and China, a balance that Vučić has tried to maintain throughout his time in power.
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To join the EU, Serbia must improve the rule of law, guarantee free and fair elections, fight corruption and organized crime, and harmonize its foreign policy with that of the European Union.
At Saturday's rally, the opposition accuses Vucic and his associates of using violence against political opponents, widespread corruption, links to organized crime and restricting media freedom. Vucic and his allies have repeatedly denied these charges.
