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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic resigned to lead his party in the Oct. 25 parliamentary election, where a youth-backed movement born from the Novi Sad canopy collapse that killed 16 people will challenge his 14-year rule.
BELGRADE, Serbia - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic resigned on Sunday to run for prime minister in an early parliamentary election set for Oct. 25, a vote that will test his firm rule after nearly two years of protests.
Vucic announced the resignation in a televised address, telling the nation: I am resigning the duty of the President of the Republic. He then began a campaign to lead the right-wing Serbian Progressive Party into the ballot. His second five-year presidential term would otherwise have ended in May next year. The Serbian Constitution bans him from seeking a third term, so he is stepping down to seek the more powerful prime minister post instead.
Vucic Campaign Faces Student Movement
The resignation was first reported on Sunday by The Associated Press. Vucic had been either prime minister or president for the past 12 years, and his party has governed since 2012. The election will be held against a backdrop of high political tension, as Vucic's populists seek to stay in office despite widespread popular discontent across the Balkan country.
The biggest challenge comes from a youth-backed movement that grew out of protests triggered by the Nov. 1, 2024, canopy collapse at a train station in the northern city of Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. University students demanded accountability for the tragedy, and their struggle for justice and against corruption has grown into a strong movement that now aims to oust Vucic's government after 14 years in power.
The student-backed election list includes little-known experts, professors, teachers, athletes and other individuals from all walks of life. Groups of students have toured the country on bicycles, campaigning for the rule of law and an end to corruption. Analysts say the student group and Vucic are polling close, heralding a tight race with a referendum-like atmosphere. Also running are Vucic's allies in the Socialist Party, a pro-EU opposition alliance and several smaller groups.
Vucic Campaigns for Prime Minister
Vucic in recent weeks has toured the country tirelessly, with live coverage on pro-government media. He opened new roads, offered assistance money and cheaper medicines, and visited voters in their homes. More recently, Vucic was filmed driving in his brother's car to some of the events. His decision to run for prime minister is seen both as an attempt to retain a top position and to boost his party's chances against the student movement.
The prime minister in Serbia is formally more powerful than the president. But Vucic still took a dominant role during his two five-year terms, sometimes presiding over government sessions and routinely announcing all important decisions and plans. The Independent Bureau for Social Research, or BIRODI, has filed a complaint alleging that Vucic abused a public institution as president to promote his party.
Serbia Election and Political Transition
He has dismissed the allegation, and there has been no response from anti-corruption authorities that are under government control. After Vucic's resignation, the acting president will be a close ally and former prime minister, Ana Brnabic, who is the outgoing speaker of Serbia's 250-member Parliament. Once a new Parliament is elected on Oct. 25, the new speaker will take over from Brnabic, appoint the prime minister and schedule a presidential vote to be held later.
Vucic and his party have been accused of rampant corruption, organized crime links and a clampdown on democratic freedoms, including critical media. The SNS has gradually taken control over all state institutions since 2012, while denying abuse of office and repeatedly pledging to fight graft. Authorities have pushed hard against protesters with police violence and detentions, as Vucic accused without offering evidence his opponents and critical media of intending to destroy the state under unspecified foreign influence.
He told Serbia's state RTS Television earlier on Sunday that foreign powers and unidentified people in the country plan to stir unrest on election night. Serbia's efforts to join the European Union have stalled under Vucic because of democratic backsliding and a refusal to join sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. Jovana Gec of The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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CTVNews:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Aleksandar Vucic Resignation Serbia Parliamentary Election Novi Sad Train Station Collapse Student Protest Movement Serbia European Union Bid
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