Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Sep 27
Serbia's Vucic Resigns as President to Run for Prime Minister in October Snap Election
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Sep 27

Serbia's Vucic Resigns as President to Run for Prime Minister in October Snap Election

3 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Sep 27

Summary

  • Aleksandar Vucic said he will step down on Monday and hand presidential duties to parliament's speaker so he can contest Serbia's October snap election for prime minister.
  • The move follows Vucic's call this month for an early vote after what he described as major political turbulence, with the election now becoming a direct test of his grip on power.
  • That turmoil grew from the November 2024 Novi Sad station awning collapse that killed 16 people, sparking nationwide student- and opposition-led protests over corruption, accountability and public procurement.
  • Vucic, 56, could not seek a third presidential term under Serbia's constitution and had been due to leave office in May 2027 after more than a decade dominating the country's politics.
  • The campaign will unfold against a polarized record at home and abroad, with supporters crediting stability and development while critics accuse him of authoritarianism and corruption amid Serbia's EU-Russia balancing act.

Insights

Will Vucic's calculated shift to prime minister successfully outmaneuver the two-year protest movement threatening his decade-long rule?
By swapping the presidency for the prime minister seat, is Vucic securing his power or revealing fatal political weakness?