Serbia's president Aleksandar Vučić announces imminent resignation from his post

The head of state announced early elections against the backdrop of a large-scale political crisis caused by the tragedy in Novi Sad.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced during a speech at a mass rally in Belgrade that he is finishing his last weeks in office. At the same time, the head of state did not specify the exact date of his resignation. According to the observations of a correspondent for the BBC's Serbian service, Vučić does not plan to completely leave politics — he promised to support the ruling Serbian Progressive Party to achieve a convincing victory in the upcoming elections. The second and final presidential term was supposed to officially end only in mid-2027. At the event, which, according to estimates from the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs, gathered more than 200 thousand participants, the country's leader also announced the holding of early general elections, without naming the exact timing of their organization.

Mass public protests and a deep political crisis in Serbia were provoked by the disaster that occurred on November 1, 2024, in the city of Novi Sad. As a result of the collapse of a concrete canopy over the entrance to the railway station building, 16 people died. This tragedy caused a harsh reaction and outrage among citizens, who linked what happened to a high level of corruption in state structures. The incident became a catalyst for regular thousand-strong protest demonstrations throughout the country, the key demand of which was initially the organization of early elections.