Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that he intends to take over the post of prime minister after the early parliamentary elections, which are expected to be held later this year, BGNES reports, quoted by News.bg.
Vucic indicated that if he heads the future government, he will focus on accelerating the process of European integration of Serbia and the other countries of the Western Balkans. He said joining the European Union remains a strategic goal for the country, although the negotiation process has been slow in recent years.
Serbia has been a candidate country for EU membership since 2012, but progress on the negotiation chapters remains limited. Among the main challenges facing Belgrade are reforms in the area of the rule of law, media freedom, the fight against corruption, as well as the normalization of relations with Kosovo - an issue that remains key to the country's European perspective.
Vučić's statement comes at a time of serious political tension in Serbia. The president is facing the worst political crisis of his career since the tragedy in Novi Sad in 2024, when a railway station canopy collapsed and killed 16 people. The incident sparked prolonged anti-government protests, with demonstrators accusing the authorities of corruption, lack of control over public procurement and institutional irresponsibility.
Amidst the public discontent, Vučić promised to hold early parliamentary elections this year. He also said he would step down as president, but stressed that this did not mean the end of his political career. Instead, he intends to take over the executive branch as prime minister if his political force receives the necessary support in the elections.
If this scenario is realized, Vučić would retain his leading role in Serbian politics, but now at the head of the government, which would mean a change in the distribution of power without a significant withdrawal from political life.