Vucic Announces His Resignation, Early Elections

Serbia's long-dominant populist president announced Saturday that he plans to resign, setting up presidential and parliamentary elections years ahead of schedule. Aleksandar Vucic told a pro-government rally in Belgrade that he will step down "in a couple of weeks," Reuters reports. The announcement follows some 18 months of anti-government demonstrations, many of them led by students angered by a 2024 railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad that killed 16 people and became a rallying point for accusations of corruption and mismanagement.

Vucic, in office for 13 years and not due to leave until 2027, said he intends to help his Serbian Progressive Party win both contests. He offered no dates for his resignation or for dissolving parliament, saying only, "These are my last days and weeks as the republic's president," per Radio Free Europe. Opposition figures and student leaders said he is trying to get ahead of growing unrest. They accuse his government of widespread graft, links to organized crime, political intimidation, and curbs on media freedom—claims that Vucic rejects, per Reuters. Serbia, an EU membership candidate, already faces pressure from Brussels to tighten rule of law, clean up corruption, and bring its foreign policy, including sanctions on Russia, in line with the bloc. Another student rally is scheduled for Sunday in the nation's southeast.