Aleksandr Vucic resigned from the post of President of Serbia
Aleksandar Vučić, who has been serving as the President of Serbia since 2017, has left his post on the eve of the upcoming elections. The powers of Vučić, who had previously promised "I am not a dictator, I will not change the constitution," will be transferred to the speaker of parliament.
**Aleksandar Vucic has resigned from the post of President of Serbia**
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has left his post. According to a live broadcast by Serbia Danas, he has signed his resignation letter, it writes.
Addressing the citizens of the country in front of the presidential palace in Belgrade, Vucic said:
"No matter how much we did, I know that we made many mistakes, and that I personally made these mistakes. I am grateful to the citizens who showed immense trust in me twice, thereby entrusting me with the highest duty and responsibility that can be placed on a person."
The Speaker of the Serbian Skupshtina (parliament), Ana Brnabic, will be appointed acting head of state. Vucic said that the first round of presidential elections in the country must be held by the end of December.
"Why did I do this? After all, I could have gone to the elections in the status of the current president of the republic. Even many of my friends, leaders of foreign states, asked in surprise: 'Why are you doing this? Why are you leaving office?'" he said.
He stated that he considers this decision to be fair.
"Those who constantly sounded the alarm about violence in society have always avoided dialogue. Those who fought most resolutely for unity of opinion always talked about it, but never wanted to hear those who thought differently. And I offered dialogue four or five years ago, two or three years ago, and a year ago," Vucic said.
Vucic announced his intention to hand over his powers on September 11. He stated that he planned to resign after the conclusion of his visit to the US. He also emphasized that according to Serbian legislation, he was not obliged to leave office before the start of the election campaign, but this was his personal decision.
Aleksandar Vucic has held the post of President of Serbia since May 31, 2017. In 2022, he was re-elected for a second term, and his term of office was due to expire on May 31, 2027. According to the Constitution of Serbia, a person cannot be elected president more than twice (the presidential term is 5 years).
Prior to the presidency, Vucic served as prime minister from 2014 to 2017.
In early September, the Serbian government approved the initiative of Prime Minister Djuro Macut and proposed that Vucic dissolve the parliament. "Elections have never been a sign of state weakness. Elections are proof of the unbending strength of a free and democratic Serbia," Macut said.
Earlier, the chairman of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Milos Vucevic, announced that Vucic would head the party list in the upcoming parliamentary elections and would be its candidate for prime minister. The president himself explained that he was resigning before the elections because he intended to participate in the voting campaign for the republic's parliament "as an ordinary citizen."
Early parliamentary elections in Serbia are scheduled for October 25. Vucic announced their holding in December 2025, following prolonged protests in the country. One of the main demands of the protesters was to hold early elections to the legislative body. Serbian authorities suggest that external forces may be behind the protests.