BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Saturday that he will step down within weeks, clearing the path for early elections following youth‑led protests that have destabilized his hold on power.
Vucic did not specify an exact date for his resignation or for any upcoming parliamentary or presidential vote. He has previously indicated that he might transition to the more powerful role of prime minister.
Serving his second term, Vucic is barred by law from seeking another presidential term; regular presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for next year.
“I will remain president for several more weeks before submitting my resignation,” Vucic told thousands of supporters in Belgrade. He added that he will support his right‑wing Serbian Progressive Party in the upcoming elections.
“We will win more convincingly than ever before,” he said, noting that this may be the final address he delivers as Serbia’s president.
Students who have led more than a year of protests against Vucic’s increasingly autocratic rule continue to demand early parliamentary elections, which Vucic has yet to schedule.
Since his populist party assumed power 14 years ago, Vucic has steadily consolidated authority. A November 2024 train‑station collapse in northern Serbia sparked months of mass demonstrations calling for accountability for the 16 fatalities.
Vucic has vigorously countered the protesters and faced European Union criticism over democratic backsliding, including media restrictions. Hundreds have been detained, and police have been accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
Anti‑government demonstrators attribute the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station to corrupt‑laden negligence in major state infrastructure projects.
