Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced the dissolution of parliament and set October 25 for snap elections on Wednesday, yielding to a key demand from the nation’s persistent protest movement. The vote is nearly two years ahead of the schedule originally set for December 2027.
“I am calling parliamentary elections for October 25,” Vucic stated during a nationally televised address. He acknowledged the political instability, noting, “We have seen major turbulence on the domestic political scene over the past year and a half,” and added that the results must “clearly reflect the will of the people.”
The demonstrations began in November 2024 after a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, killing 16 individuals. The disaster was broadly attributed to systemic corruption, igniting public outrage and drawing some of the largest crowds seen since the ouster of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. While initial protests called for a transparent investigation, demands soon shifted toward early elections, which Vucic had frequently promised but never scheduled.
The movement, which originated from student-led university blockades, has pressed for early polls since May 2025 and is currently organizing its own electoral list. This development marks the most significant political challenge to the 56-year-old president, who has dominated Serbian politics for over a decade in various executive roles.
Throughout the unrest, Vucic and his supporters have alleged that the protesters are orchestrating a “foreign-funded revolution.” Restating these claims during the election announcement, the president asserted, “We have seen not only signs of foreign interference, but significant involvement by foreign powers, as well as unrest, disorder and clashes, and above all a divided society.”
Vucic, who was elected president in 2017 and re-elected in 2022 for a five-year term, indicated he would step down from his current office after formally calling the election to campaign. Reports suggest he intends to return as prime minister. His Serbian Progressive Party confirmed over the weekend that it has asked him to lead its electoral list and serve as its candidate for the premiership.
The announcement comes amid heightened international scrutiny. Vucic faced sharp criticism from EU leaders earlier this week regarding the state funeral held for Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb army commander convicted of genocide by a UN court. Mladic was buried in Serbia on Monday despite his convictions.
Mladic’s burial while citizens demand justice? The hypocrisy is staggering.
I worry this just delays the inevitable conflict. The divide in Serbia is deep.
Leading as PM instead of President? That’s a clever political maneuver by Vucic.
Finally, some accountability. Two years of protests weren’t for nothing.