Serbians rally after Vucic promises to step down, but few believe his exit will end 12-year rule

Vucic’s resignation pledge

President Vucic told a rally of supporters in Belgrade on Saturday that he would be president “for only a couple more weeks,” adding “and then I will resign.” He set no date for his departure or for the early parliamentary and presidential elections that would follow.

Vucic’s second term had been due to run until the end of May 2027, and the constitution bars him from seeking a third term. The announcement, therefore, formalises a switch he had long signalled, allowing him to run instead for the more powerful post of prime minister.

“I will be president only a couple more weeks, then I will resign.”

Protesters remain sceptical

The student-led movement that has shaken Serbia since late 2024 greeted Vucic’s promise with defiance. On Sunday, thousands filled the central square of Kraljevo, some 170 kilometres south of Belgrade, chanting “Students are winning.”

“The students are winning.”

Many in the crowd said they did not believe Vucic would genuinely leave power. The protests began after a concrete awning collapsed at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, killing 16 people. The disaster became a symbol of what protesters call government mismanagement and systemic corruption, and the demonstrations are now the largest Serbia has seen since the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000.

“This is not just a political struggle but a fight between good and evil.”

Political manoeuvring

Analysts see Vucic’s move as a tactical rotation. He served as prime minister from 2014 to 2017 before becoming president, and observers expect him to return to the premiership while a loyal ally assumes the presidency.

“It is an autocratic system and everything is tailored to him. He switches between the presidential and prime ministerial office, just like Vladimir Putin.”

Vucic struck a combative tone, predicting his Serbian Progressive Party would “win more convincingly than ever before” at the next elections. The party controls large parts of the state apparatus, and critics fear it will use that machinery to mobilise public-sector employees and pressure opponents.

Regional and EU attention

The European Union, which Serbia aims to join, condemned the use of force against peaceful protesters and raised concerns about press freedom and judicial independence. Brussels also stressed that free and fair elections are a prerequisite for accession progress. Russia and China, both close partners of Belgrade, are also watching.

The protest in Kraljevo fell on Vidovdan, the anniversary of the 1389 Battle of Kosovo, a date laden with national symbolism. Speakers from Kosovo addressed the crowd, linking the perceived incompetence and corruption of the government to the hardships faced by Serbs there. Romania’s foreign ministry issued a travel warning for its citizens ahead of the weekend rallies.