Vučić hints at resignation, sparking speculation of a move to prime minister role

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has hinted at a potential resignation from his presidential post, a move that has sparked speculation about his next political steps. Speaking from Beijing, Vučić suggested his mandate was nearing its end and that he might step down soon, framing it as a departure from the tactics of former presidents.

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Soon my mandate is ending, it is possible that I will resign soon. I will not shorten the mandate as Boris Tadić successfully forced you to accept a meaningless formulation. Either you resign or you are president until the end of your term, so maybe I will resign soon, you are right, I am done.

If Vučić resigns, the speaker of the National Assembly, Ana Brnabić, would temporarily assume the presidency until elections are held within three months. However, opposition figures like Zdravko Ponoš, leader of the Srbija Centar party, believe this is a strategic maneuver. Ponoš suggests Vučić intends to trade his presidential seat for the prime minister's office, a transition he believes could be orchestrated without immediate parliamentary elections.

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I am not someone who wants to sit in his chair until the end of his life like some others.

Constitutional law professor Tanasije Marinković explains that Vučić could become prime minister if the current government resigns, leading to the election of a new government, headed by Vučić, within 30 days. This scenario would bypass the need for new parliamentary elections, allowing Vučić to maintain a leading political role. Marinković advises the opposition to consider their presidential candidate carefully in light of these potential political shifts.

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He cannot be president, but he must be prime minister, to be the biggest shot in the country. And that is why he will most likely resign at the last moment, which is by March 1, so that elections can be called on March 2. In that scenario, by May 15, he is prime minister, the state has no president, it has some Ana Brnabić who is acting, and that is an ideal scenario for him.