Serbia dissolves parliament, calls snap election as Vučić eyes prime minister job
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić dissolved parliament and called a snap parliamentary election for Oct. 25 after nearly two years of mass anti-government protests that have posed the biggest challenge to his rule since he came to power in 2012.
Vučić, who cannot run for another presidential term, has said he plans to run for prime minister instead. He is expected to resign as president in the coming weeks to join the parliamentary election campaign, while an early presidential election will be held separately.
“We have had … huge turbulences,” Vučić said in an address. “We need election results that will clearly show the will of the people and the direction where Serbia is going.”
The election follows nearly two years of protests sparked by the collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people.
Protesters blamed corruption and government negligence for the disaster and demanded accountability and early parliamentary elections. Demonstrations have at times drawn hundreds of thousands of people.
A student-backed election list, expected to include university professors and other experts, has emerged as the main challenger to Vučić's ruling Serbian Progressive Party.
Vučić and his party have dominated Serbian politics since 2012. His government has faced accusations of eroding democratic freedoms and concerns over police violence and arbitrary detentions during the protests.
Serbia is a candidate for European Union membership, but its accession process has stalled under Vučić, who has maintained close ties with both Russia and China.
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