Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on Saturday that he would resign within weeks and announced the holding of early presidential and parliamentary elections.
Vučić’s announcement comes after a year and a half of student-led anti-corruption protests that swept the country after a shelter collapsed at the railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad, killing 16 people.
A few days ago, in Novi Sad, students commemorated the victims of 2024 and called for early general elections.
“I will only be president for a few more weeks and then I will resign,” Vucic told supporters at a pro-government rally in the capital, Belgrade. His second and final term ends in mid-2027.
Vučić also stated that he would help the Serbian Progressive Party win the elections, including the early parliamentary vote, which was initially planned for 2027. However, he did not specify when he would resign nor when he could dissolve parliament, a necessary condition for holding early parliamentary elections.
Protesters, the opposition and human rights groups claim the tragedy at the railway station was a sign of mismanagement of construction projects and corruption in the government. Student activists say they intend to challenge Vucic and the SNS in the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.