Serbian President Vučić Announces His Resignation: What We Know
28 June 00:21
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, a populist who has been under pressure following months of anti-government protests, announced on Saturday, June 27, that he would resign within a few weeks, and that the country will hold early presidential and parliamentary elections. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Reuters.
Vucic, who has been in power for 13 years, made the announcement following a year and a half of sometimes violent anti-corruption protests led by students.
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A few days ago, students once again demanded early general elections. Another student rally is scheduled for Sunday in the city of Kraljevo, in southeastern Serbia.
“I will be president for only a few weeks, and then I will resign,” Vučić told his supporters at a pro-government rally in the capital, Belgrade.
Vucic’s second and final term was set to end in mid-2027.
Vucic stated that he would help his Serbian Progressive Party win the presidential election and the early parliamentary elections, which were also originally scheduled for 2027. He did not specify when he would resign, nor when he would dissolve parliament, which is a prerequisite for early parliamentary elections.
Savo Manojlovic, head of the student opposition organization “Movement for Change,” said: “With his resignation and the early presidential and parliamentary elections, Vučić is trying to prevent his inevitable downfall due to the protests and the student movement, which has more support than he does.”
Protesters, the opposition, and human rights groups claim that the train station disaster, which claimed 16 lives, was a sign of broader government mismanagement of construction projects and corruption. They also accuse Vučić and his allies of violence against political opponents, widespread corruption, ties to organized crime, and suppression of media freedom.
Vucic and his allies deny these allegations. Activists from the student movement and opposition parties have stated that they want to challenge Vucic and the Socialist Party in the elections.
Serbia is a candidate for EU membership, but Belgrade must first improve the rule of law—including conditions for free and fair elections—and root out corruption and organized crime. Serbia must also align its foreign policy with that of the bloc, in particular by imposing sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
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