Europe · updated 37m ago · 2 min read
Aleksandar Vučić Resigns As Serbia President, Plans Prime Minister Bid Ahead Of Oct. 25 Elections
Aleksandar Vučić resigns as Serbia's president ahead of snap parliamentary elections. He intends to run for prime minister in the October 25 parliamentary vote.
Whether to emphasise Vucic’s turbulence/pardons or the student movement.
6 of 7 outlets skipped it: vucic pardoned dozens immediately before resigning.
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France 24
“Earlier this month, though, he called an October 25 vote, citing ‘major turbulence on the domestic political scene’.”Read the original ↗
CBC
“The governing populist faces a major challenge at the ballot from a youth-backed movement that led the protests”Read the original ↗
France 24 emphasises Vucic’s turbulence and pardons while CBC foregrounds the student-backed anti-corruption protest challenge.
Vucic quits, elections set
Aleksandar Vucic resigned as Serbia's president on Sunday ahead of snap parliamentary elections scheduled for Oct. 25, and he said he would run for prime minister as the ruling Serbian Progressive Party's (SNS) candidate.
Ana Brnabic served as acting president after Vucic stepped down, and Serbia prepared for both parliamentary and early presidential elections under a rule that a presidential election must be held within three months of his resignation.
Vucic tied the timing to campaigning, and he said in front of the presidential palace, where his supporters chanted his name, "I resign from my functions as president."
Vucic also said, "Tomorrow morning, I will hand over my mandate to the President of the National Assembly," as the country moved toward the Oct. 25 vote.
Protests and the Novi Sad
Student-led protests and growing public discontent over allegations of government corruption formed the backdrop to Vucic's resignation, and the president had already announced his intention to resign in June. The collapse of the Novi Sad railway station's roof, killing 16 people, first galvanised anger towards the government in 2024, and demonstrators continued to demonstrate throughout this summer.
The protests were triggered by the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024 that killed 16 people, and the protests were started by students who blocked state universities before spreading across the country. Ana Brnabic said, "You are constantly offending me, starting from your refusal to shake my hand," during a televised debate that drew significant public attention ahead of the 25 October parliamentary vote.
EU path and political stakes
Vucic resigned to run for prime minister in the October parliamentary elections, and his second presidential term would otherwise end in May next year.
Serbia's constitution barred him from seeking a third term, and the presidential election must be completed within 90 days with the campaign lasting between 30 and 60 days.
Vucic used his constitutional powers to pardon 49 people, including 23 students and party loyalists suspected of offences related to what he called the "terrible events we have gone through over the past year and a half," according to Serbian public broadcaster RTS.
Vucic has publicly said he wants Serbia to join the EU while courting close ties with Russia and opening Serbia up to Chinese investment, as the Oct. 25 parliamentary vote pits his SNS and its allies against Students Win and European Serbia.