Serbia's Vučić to resign, calls for early elections

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on Saturday that he will resign from his post in a few weeks and called for early presidential and parliamentary elections. Vučić made the declaration during a rally of his pro-government Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in the capital, Belgrade.

Vučić stated he would continue to support the SNS in the upcoming elections. His current second and final term was not scheduled to conclude until mid-2027, with national elections also planned for the same year. He did not provide a specific date for his resignation or the dissolution of parliament.

The president's announcement comes after a prolonged period of 18 months of student-led anti-corruption protests across the country. These demonstrations gained momentum following the collapse of a canopy at a train station in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad in 2024, an incident that claimed the lives of 16 people.

Protesters, opposition figures, and human rights groups have pointed to the Novi Sad disaster as evidence of government corruption and mismanagement in construction projects. Activists from the student movement have declared their intention to contest the upcoming elections against Vučić and the SNS.

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I will be president for only a few more weeks, and then I will resign.