Protesters keep pressure on Vucic after resignation pledge
Rallies continued in Serbia after President Aleksandar Vucic said he would resign within weeks, with opponents fearing he could retain power as prime minister.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Kraljevo on Sunday after Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he would resign within weeks, Reuters and The Associated Press reported. The continued protests show that his pledge has not quieted a movement demanding deeper political change and early elections.
Vucic made the announcement at a rally in Belgrade on Saturday, according to Reuters and AP. His departure, if carried out, would formally end a 12-year period in which he has led Serbia as either president or prime minister.
The president did not give a date for stepping down or for elections, Reuters and AP reported. That has left opposition supporters wary of what his promise will mean in practice.
Protesters doubt power will change hands
Under Serbian law, Vucic cannot run for another presidential term, according to Reuters and AP. Many protesters and analysts expect him to seek the more powerful job of prime minister and support a loyal ally for president, allowing him to keep control of the government.
At the Belgrade rally, Vucic did not present himself as a leader leaving politics, Reuters and AP reported. He predicted that his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party, which has governed Serbia for 14 years, would “win more convincingly than ever before” in the next elections.
The rallies in Belgrade and Kraljevo highlighted Serbia’s political divide, according to Reuters and AP. Vucic’s supporters gathered around his message of continuity, while opponents said his resignation promise did not answer their demands for accountability.
Rail station disaster fuels anger
The protest movement grew after a railway station roof collapsed in Novi Sad in late 2024, killing 16 people, Reuters and AP reported. Demonstrators blame the disaster on corruption and poor work on major state construction projects.
Vucic denies corruption allegations, according to Reuters and AP. He has repeatedly described protesters as “foreign agents” trying to remove him from power.
The unrest has become Serbia’s largest protest wave since the 2000 uprising that ousted authoritarian leader Slobodan Milosevic, Reuters and AP reported. The demonstrations have continued for months across the country.
Police have detained hundreds of people during the unrest, according to Reuters and AP. The European Union has accused Serbian police of using brutality and holding demonstrators without proper grounds.
For protesters in Kraljevo, Vucic’s resignation pledge did not settle the confrontation, Reuters and AP reported. Their concern is that a change in office could leave Serbia’s power structure largely unchanged.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.