Vucic Announces Resignation to Seek Prime Ministerial Post
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on September 28, 2026, that he would resign from his post to run for prime minister in upcoming snap parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
Speaking to supporters at the presidential palace in Belgrade, Vucic declared, "I am resigning as president." He stated that he would hand over his duties to the parliament speaker the following morning. "This is the last evening for me in this building," Vucic said. "I served you faithfully. I served all of you, and our homeland Serbia, honourably and honestly throughout my presidential term." He added, "The fight is only beginning."
The resignation is necessary because the Serbian Constitution bans Vucic from seeking a third term. He was serving his second term and would have left office in May 2027 had he not resigned.
Political Turmoil and Snap Elections
Vucic called for snap elections earlier in September, citing "major turbulence on the domestic political scene" as the reason. The call for early elections followed nationwide protests triggered by a November 2024 tragedy in Novi Sad where an awning collapsed, killing 16 people. Protesters demanded accountability, transparency, and an end to corruption.
Following the Novi Sad disaster, several officials, including two ministers, were arrested or resigned after Vucic's government initially denied accusations.
Sustained Pressure on Leadership
A June 29, 2026 report from Tempo.co noted that student protests continued despite Vucic's pledge to resign within weeks, extending 18 months of sustained pressure. The political landscape has been marked by this prolonged period of public dissent and governmental instability.
Vucic's Longstanding Political Dominance
The 56-year-old Vucic has dominated Serbian politics for over a decade. He has ties to Serbian nationalism and had once served as minister under the administration of Slobodan Milosevic.
Supporters praise him for his stability, stated commitment to development projects in Serbia, and his patriotism, in a country long overshadowed by war in the 1990s and subsequent international isolation. Opponents, however, have decried what they see as increasingly authoritarian tendencies and endemic corruption.