Vucic plans early exit from Serbian presidency
The Serbian president said he would resign within weeks, a move that could bring early presidential and parliamentary elections after months of protests.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he will leave office within weeks, opening the way for possible early presidential and parliamentary elections. His announcement comes after months of youth-led antigovernment protests that have put sustained pressure on his rule, according to reporting by AFP, AP and Reuters.
Speaking on Saturday at a pro-government rally in Belgrade, Vucic told supporters that his time as president was nearly over. “I will be president for only a couple of weeks, and then I will resign,” he said.
Vucic did not give a date for his resignation, according to AFP, AP and Reuters. He also did not say when elections for parliament or the presidency would be held.
The Serbian leader told the crowd he would help his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party in the coming elections. He said the party would win “more convincingly than ever before” and indicated the rally was probably his last address to supporters as president.
Vucic’s current term, his second and final presidential mandate, had been due to end in mid-2027, AFP, AP and Reuters reported. His party has been in power for 14 years, during which Vucic has steadily strengthened his control over Serbian politics.
Protests have tested Vucic’s government
The resignation plan follows a long wave of student-led demonstrations across Serbia. According to AFP, AP and Reuters, tens of thousands of people have taken part in rallies since November 2024, when 16 people were killed in the Novi Sad rail station disaster.
The disaster set off widespread anger at the government, according to the wire agencies. The protests later contributed to the January 2025 resignation of then-Prime Minister Milos Vucevic.
Serbian police detained hundreds of people during the demonstrations, AFP, AP and Reuters reported. The European Union accused police of using excessive force and making arbitrary arrests.
Vucic has rejected the protest movement and has repeatedly described demonstrators as “foreign agents,” according to AFP, AP and Reuters. He has accused them of stoking divisions and trying to remove the government from power.
Students were expected to respond to Vucic’s rally with their own gathering on Sunday in Kraljevo, in central Serbia, according to AFP, AP and Reuters. Organizers planned to promote national unity while renewing demands for early elections.
Vucic has dominated Serbian public life for more than a decade, and his planned departure would mark a major shift in the country’s politics. The timing and form of the next elections remain unclear because he has not set out a formal schedule for stepping down or for a vote.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.