Vučić Resigns to Run for Prime Minister

Belgrade — Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić resigned on Sunday evening, 27 September, saying he wants to enter the 25 October snap parliamentary elections as an ordinary citizen and lead his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) toward the prime minister's office.

Under Serbia's constitution he cannot seek a third presidential term; his second term would otherwise have run to May 2027. The prime minister is formally the more powerful executive post in Serbia's system, though Vučić dominated politics as president for two five-year terms, according to Associated Press reporting carried by The Guardian and Euronews. Resigning the presidency lets him stand for parliament and seek to become prime minister if his party can form a government after the vote.

An official government notice said Vučić signed his resignation at the Presidency in Belgrade and would hand duties the next morning to Ana Brnabić, speaker of the National Assembly, who becomes acting president. Vučić said a presidential election must then be held by the end of December because of a 90-day deadline described in Euronews coverage.

Why the vote is a test

Serbia has been shaken by nearly two years of protests that began after a concrete canopy collapsed at the Novi Sad railway station on 1 November 2024, killing 16 people. University students demanded accountability for the disaster; the campaign widened into a broader anti-corruption movement that now fields a student-backed electoral list of little-known experts, teachers, athletes and others. AP reporting says analysts see the student list and Vučić's camp polling close, in a referendum-like atmosphere.

Vučić has been prime minister or president for about twelve years; his Progressive Party and allies have held power since 2012. Critics accuse the SNS of capturing state institutions, squeezing independent media and tolerating corruption; the party denies abuse of office and says it fights graft. Authorities have answered protests with police force and detentions. Vučić has accused opponents and critical media — without offering evidence, according to the Associated Press — of trying to destroy the state under foreign influence, and on Sunday told state television RTS that foreign powers and unnamed domestic actors planned unrest on election night.

What changes with the resignation

Brnabić, a close Vučić ally and former prime minister, serves as acting president until a new parliament is elected; its new speaker then takes over the role, appoints the prime minister and schedules the presidential vote, the Associated Press reported. Vučić told the public he would campaign "everywhere in Serbia." Euronews reported he said he had pardoned 49 people before leaving office, including 23 prosecuted for alleged offences during the protests.

Also running, per AP, are Vučić's Socialist Party allies, a pro-European opposition alliance, and smaller groups. Serbia's bid to join the European Union has stalled under Vučić amid concerns about democratic backsliding and Belgrade's refusal to join EU sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine.

What happens next

Parliamentary elections are set for 25 October 2026. If SNS and partners can assemble a majority, Vučić can seek the premiership. If the student-backed list or a rival coalition prevails, Serbia's long Vučić era could break. A separate presidential election must follow by year-end under the timeline he described.