Vučić says he will resign Serbia's presidency and run for prime minister

A direct move back toward government leadership

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said he will resign on September 27 and stand for prime minister in the country's October 25 snap parliamentary election. The announcement would move a politician who has served as either president or prime minister for 12 years back into the contest for direct control of the government, making his personal record central to the campaign.

His declaration came as thousands of opposition supporters gathered in Belgrade to support the Students Win movement. Its prospective parliamentary candidates submitted certified supporter signatures, an initial procedural step toward securing a place on the ballot. Several opposition groups, including the Democratic Party and Kreni Promeni, have said they will support the student list instead of fielding competing candidates.

The protest movement enters electoral politics

The student-led movement grew out of demonstrations following the November 2024 collapse of a railway-station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. What began as demands for accountability over the disaster expanded into a broader challenge over corruption, institutional independence and media control. Vučić and his allies deny opposition allegations that they have captured state institutions and the media.

Running for prime minister gives Vučić a route to preserve executive influence after leaving the presidency, but it also exposes him directly to a unified protest movement. Serbia's parliamentary system makes the composition of the National Assembly decisive: the prime minister must command a governing majority, so the election will determine whether Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party can translate his personal campaign into sufficient seats and coalition support.

European scrutiny will accompany the vote

Serbia remains an EU candidate country, making the election relevant to its stalled accession process. European Council President António Costa said in June that Serbia should complete electoral reforms consistent with international recommendations, including safeguards against misuse of state resources and pressure on voters. He also linked progress toward membership to rule of law, media freedom and credible democratic institutions.

The immediate milestones are Vučić's promised resignation, formal registration of candidate lists and the conditions under which campaigning proceeds. Observers will watch access to broadcasters, public-resource use, pressure on voters and treatment of peaceful assemblies. The result will test whether a decentralised protest movement can become an effective national electoral organisation and whether Serbia's long-dominant political structure can withstand a consolidated challenger.