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Vucic resignation met doubt
Thousands of protesters gathered in Serbia’s Kraljevo after President Aleksandar Vucic said he would resign within weeks to pave the way for early presidential and parliamentary elections.
Demonstrators in Kraljevo dismissed Vucic’s pledge, saying they did not believe he would give up power after 12 years in office, with many expecting him to retain control by moving into the prime minister’s role while a close ally takes the presidency.
Marko Djokic, a 41-year-old IT expert, said, “I cannot imagine that he will step down and leave power to someone else,” as he returned to his home city for the protests.
The pressure follows 18 months of student-led protests sparked by the collapse of a concrete awning at a railway station in Novi Sad in late 2024 that killed 16 people.
Arrests, police clashes
In Belgrade and Novi Sad, RaiNews described protests against President Vucic, noting “Contro gli oltre 70 arresti dei manifestanti” as demonstrators again took to the streets with barracades.
RaiNews also cited video-amateur accounts showing police charges against civilians in the street and said “Una cinquantina i poliziati feriti, una ventina i manifestanti.”
The same report said that neanche 12 ore prima, the Serbian president had said, “arresteremo chi attacca la polizia, si tratta di terroristi, provocatori.”
RaiNews added that students returned to protest for Vucic’s resignation and for the resignation of the government and the Serbian Progressive Party, after a concrete canopy collapse in Novi Sad killed 15 people, including a child, and triggered an investigation for corruption and negligence.
Next rallies and political risk
Ukrainian National News (UNN) said thousands of protesters were expected on Sunday at a new rally in Kraljevo despite Vucic’s statement about his upcoming resignation and early presidential and parliamentary elections.
UNN framed the Novi Sad railway-station tragedy as “a symbol of corruption for Serbs,” and said Reuters reports that the protests have been ongoing for several months after the collapse of a concrete canopy at the end of 2024 that killed 16 people.
The South China Morning Post reported that people braved a heatwave to gather for a protest at a central square in Kraljevo, where banners read “Students are winning”.
Al Jazeera reported that protesters in Kraljevo doubted Vucic would step down and leave power, with many expecting him to retain control by moving into the prime minister’s role, keeping the political stakes tied to who holds the levers of power after any elections.
