Photo: EPA
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic resigned on September 27, ending his second and final five-year term and paving the way for early presidential elections, Reuters reported.
Vucic said he would participate in the October 25 snap parliamentary election as an ordinary citizen and seek the post of prime minister if his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) forms the next government.
Under Serbia’s Constitution, Vucic cannot seek a third presidential term. His resignation came about seven months before his current mandate was due to expire in May 2027.
Vucic signed his resignation letter in Belgrade and said he would formally hand over his duties to National Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabic. She will serve as acting president until a new head of state is elected. Presidential elections must be held by the end of December.
Vucic has dominated Serbian politics since 2014, first as prime minister and then as president from 2017.
His resignation comes amid nearly two years of student-led protests following the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. The demonstrations have become a major challenge to Vucic and his ruling party.
The October 25 parliamentary election is therefore also set to determine the political framework for the next Serbian government. Vucic has said he intends to campaign for the ruling SNS despite no longer holding the presidency.
The resignation opens the process for a separate presidential election while allowing Vucic to seek another senior political position through the parliamentary vote.
