Alexander Vucic has resigned as Serbian president, ending his term nearly eight months before it was due to expire. RBC reported that he signed the resignation letter at the General Secretariat of the President.
“Today, dear citizens, I am resigning and for the last time as president of the republic I will try not to bore you with numbers, but to say a few words about the new chapter that awaits Serbia,“ Vucic said in a televised address. He also said that he had made mistakes and thanked the citizens who had twice shown him confidence.
The resignation is related to the parliamentary elections
Vučić announced his decision after returning from the United States. On September 11, he said that he would leave the presidency to lead the election campaign not as a head of state, but as an ordinary citizen. In this way, he would be able to head the list of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and run for prime minister.
The early parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 25. They were reached after protests that continued into 2025, the main political demand of which was that the vote be held earlier. The Serbian government proposed dissolving parliament, and the ruling party nominated Vučić as its candidate for prime minister.
A presidential vote is also coming
Vučić has been president of Serbia since May 31, 2017, and won a second term in 2022. He was supposed to remain in office until May 31, 2027, but his term ended early.
According to the Serbian Constitution, resignations are submitted to the speaker of the National Assembly, and the president's term ends on the day of submission. In the event of an early termination of the presidential term, the speaker of parliament temporarily assumes the functions of head of state and must schedule presidential elections to be held within three months at the latest.
Thus, the parliamentary vote on October 25 will be followed by a separate procedure for electing a president. Vucic will no longer participate in it as a candidate for head of state, as the Constitution does not allow one person to be elected president more than twice.
Sources: RBC, RTS