Serbian President Vucic Announces Resignation Amid Protests
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on June 27 that he will resign within weeks, a dramatic political shift in the Balkan nation after 18 months of student-led anti-corruption protests that became the largest demonstrations since the fall of Slobodan Milosevic. The resignation paves the way for early presidential and parliamentary elections.
Context
Speaking at a pro-government rally of his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Belgrade, Vucic told thousands of supporters: “These are my last days and weeks as the republic’s president. After that, I will resign,” according to RFE/RL. His second and final presidential mandate was due to expire in mid-2027, and under Serbian election law, he cannot run for president again.
Vucic, who has been in power for 13 years, said he would help his party win both the presidential and parliamentary elections. He did not specify an exact date for his resignation or when parliament would be dissolved — a precondition for early parliamentary elections. The Associated Press reported that Vucic has previously hinted at transitioning to the formally more powerful position of prime minister.
The Catalyst: Novi Sad Tragedy
The resignation announcement comes after a year and a half of sustained anti-government protests triggered by the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station on November 1, 2024, which killed 16 people. The station, built in 1964, had been renovated from 2021 to mid-2024 by a Chinese consortium (CRIC-CCCC) under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. According to Wikipedia, the canopy was reportedly not reconstructed during renovations — only given conservation treatment — but the disaster sparked widespread outrage over alleged corruption and negligence.
Protesters, opposition parties, and rights groups allege the disaster was a symptom of broader government mismanagement, corruption, and ties with organized crime. Vucic and his allies deny these allegations. The tragedy forced the resignation of Construction Minister Goran Vesic in November 2024 and Prime Minister Milos Vucevic in January 2025 after ruling party supporters assaulted a female student.
The Protest Movement
Led primarily by university students, the demonstrations became the largest in Serbia since the 2000 protests that toppled Slobodan Milosevic. At their peak, they demanded accountability, transparency in the investigation, and broader anti-corruption measures. The Straits Times quoted Savo Manojlovic, head of the student opposition Move-Change Movement, who said: “By resigning and with early presidential and parliamentary elections Vucic is trying to preempt his inevitable fall, because of protests and because of the student movement which has more support than he does.”
New Coalition and Foreign Policy
Vucic announced that the ruling party will be part of a broader political coalition called “United Serbia” for the upcoming elections — a name that recalls Russia’s “United Russia” party. On foreign policy, Vucic stated the ruling party would continue its path toward the European Union but also maintain its “traditional partnership” with Moscow and Beijing, saying Belgrade would not “abandon friends when times are difficult.”
Serbia is an official EU candidate country but must improve rule of law, root out corruption, and align its foreign policy with the bloc — including imposing sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Serbia has resisted sanctions on Russia, straining relations with Brussels.
Analysis and What’s Next
Vucic’s resignation appears to be a strategic move to preempt further erosion of his party’s power. By calling early elections on his own terms, he aims to reset the political landscape while he still wields significant influence. Speculation suggests Vucic may attempt to transition to the prime minister role, which holds greater executive authority under Serbia’s constitutional framework.
Key questions remain: Will the student protest movement accept early elections as sufficient, or will they continue to demand deeper systemic reforms? Can Vucic successfully reposition himself, or will the protests fundamentally alter Serbia’s political landscape? Another student rally was scheduled for June 28 in the town of Kraljevo, signaling that the movement shows no signs of abating.
The coming weeks will determine whether Vucic’s gambit succeeds in preserving his party’s dominance or whether Serbia is on the cusp of a more profound political transformation.