Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic resigns amid prolonged protests

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has resigned to run for Prime Minister in an early parliamentary election on October 25, following mass protests led by a student movement, the most significant in over a decade. Vucic, from the Serbian Progressive Party, has dominated Serbian politics since 2014 and is seeking to extend his rule despite being barred from a third presidential term. The resignation comes after nearly two years of demonstrations triggered by the death of 16 people in a concrete canopy collapse at a railway station in Novi Sad in November 2024, with protesters accusing the government of corruption and lack of transparency. Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic will serve as acting president until a presidential election, and Vucic has pardoned 49 individuals, including 23 connected to the protests.