(Serbia, 28th) Serbian President Vučić said he will resign from the presidency in several weeks and hold early presidential and parliamentary elections.
According to Xinhua News Agency, Vučić made the announcement on Saturday (June 27) at a pro-government rally in Belgrade, calling on the nation to remain united.
He stated that over the past decade, Serbia has made progress in economic development, employment growth, and infrastructure construction. Currently, the country is at a critical stage of development and needs to maintain political stability and social unity to ensure continuity of national development policies.
However, he declared that he would help lead the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) to victory in the presidential and early parliamentary elections.
Earlier this month, Vučić had hinted that he planned to resign from the presidency and the presidential election would be held in the next three to four months.
Vučić was first elected president in April 2017 and was re-elected in May 2022. His term is set to end in mid-next year. According to the Serbian constitution, the presidential term is five years and may be renewed once.
Reuters, quoting analysts, reported that Vučić is unlikely to withdraw from politics, as if his party wins the parliamentary election, his resignation could pave the way for him to serve as prime minister. This would continue Serbia's long-standing trend of power revolving around Vučić.
Analysts say Vučić may try to support an ally as his successor in the presidency in order to continue controlling power.
The presidency in Serbia is largely ceremonial, but Vučić wields considerable influence over the party and government. He has floated the idea of becoming prime minister again, and several key allies have recently publicly expressed that he should do so.
However, his resignation announcement comes amid ongoing anti-corruption protests, which appear to have had an effect. The student-led protest movement was sparked by the collapse of a canopy at Novi Sad train station in northern Serbia in November 2024, which resulted in 16 deaths.
Several days ago, students in Novi Sad mourned the victims of the disaster and called for early elections. Another student rally is scheduled for Sunday (28th) in the south-central city of Kraljevo, Serbia.
Student movements and opposition activists all hope to challenge Vučić and the Serbian Progressive Party in the elections. Manojlović, leader of the student opposition movement “Move-Change,” said, “Vučić’s resignation and the calling of early presidential and parliamentary elections is an attempt to pre-emptively prevent his inevitable ouster due to protests and the student movement.”