Serbia's Vucic calls snap elections after nearly two years of protests

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Sept. 9 that he would dissolve the national parliament and hold early elections on Oct. 25, according to Reuters. Vucic, who has served as either president or prime minister for the past 12 years, made the announcement in a televised address. The decision comes after nearly two years of large-scale anti-government protests in Serbia, which were triggered by the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad on Nov.

2024 that resulted in 16 deaths. Vucic stated that if there were no tension and political conflicts, elections would not be necessary. The ruling Serbian Progressive Party has nominated Vucic to run for prime minister in the upcoming election, effectively enabling him to retain power by shifting to another position. It is still uncertain if Vucic will resign as president before the parliamentary vote.

The student protest movement, which has orchestrated some of the largest demonstrations in the country's recent history, has not yet declared support for a specific candidate or political bloc. Sociologist Rasa Nedeljkov from the research organization CRTA stated that the election will serve as a test of Vucic's support following the two years of anti-government protests.

She emphasized that since 2024, it has been evident that elections would provide the ruling party with a means to restore legitimacy, despite the clear advantage Vucic's opponents possess due to the unequal electoral conditions.