Serbian President Vucic resigns – candidacy in early elections
Quick Look
- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has resigned to run as the lead candidate of his Progressive Party in the early parliamentary elections on October 25 and become prime minister again.
- His term as president would have ended normally next year; Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic will take over the presidency on an interim basis.
- The biggest competition in the election will be the list of the student movement, which was formed after the train platform fall in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, which left 16 dead and is accusing the government of corruption and official failure.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Vucic has been President of Serbia since 2017 and previously held the office of Prime Minister from 2014 to 2017. His Progressive Party has dominated Serbian politics for more than a decade.
As expected, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has resigned. The background for the resignation is the early elections in Serbia on October 25th. Vucic is the top candidate of his Progress Party.
If he wins the election, he wants to become prime minister again. He held this position between 2014 and 2017. Since then, Vucic has been head of state, but he still largely determines political events in Serbia on his own.
Brnabic interim president
His term as president would normally have ended next year. Then Vucic would not have been allowed to run again because he had already been president for two terms. There is no date for the new presidential election yet. According to the constitution, it must take place in three months at the latest.
Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic will now become president on an interim basis. She also belongs to the Progress Party and was Prime Minister for a time under President Vucic.
Biggest competition: List of the student movement
In the parliamentary election, Vucic's biggest competition is likely to be the student movement's list. It was formed after the canopy of a train station collapsed in Novi Sad, northern Serbia, on November 1, 2024. 16 people were killed. The student movement attributes this to government corruption and sloppiness on the part of the authorities.
Vucic and his Progressive Party have shaped the country's politics for more than a decade. Critics accuse him of increasing restrictions on democratic institutions and media freedom.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Aleksandar Vucic will win the early parliamentary elections on October 25 as the Progress Party's top candidate and become prime minister again.
Likely · Within days
Open Questions
- When exactly will the new presidential election take place?
- What specific allegations does the student movement make against the government?
- What is the expected voter turnout in the early parliamentary elections?
