Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on Saturday that he will resign in the coming weeks and campaign for the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in the next parliamentary election, with the party set to contest under the name ‘United Serbia’.
Speaking to supporters gathered outside the National Assembly in Belgrade, Vučić said it was the last time he would address such a large crowd as president, adding that he expected to remain in office for only a few more weeks.
‘I believe we will win by a bigger margin than ever before,’ he said during a speech broadcast live on most of Serbia’s leading television channels.
Ruling party launches election campaign
Vučić made the announcement during an SNS rally held to mark Vidovdan, one of Serbia’s most significant national and religious holidays.
Organised under the slogan ‘Serbia, One Family’, the event is widely viewed as the launch of the ruling party’s election campaign and a response to the student-led anti-government protests that have continued for more than 18 months.
Supporters travelled to Belgrade from across the country, with some making the journey on foot. Attendees were invited to identify policy areas they believed deserved greater attention, while the event also featured an exhibition criticising the student protest movement.
Protest movement remains active
During his address, Vučić accused foreign actors of attempting to destabilise Serbia over the past year and a half. He also claimed that students had been manipulated into believing they were driving political change.
At the same time, he pledged to accelerate Serbia’s path towards European Union membership while maintaining the country’s longstanding ties with China and Russia.
The student movement began organising nationwide demonstrations following the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, which claimed 16 lives. Students and opposition parties blamed the tragedy on government corruption and negligence, allegations that the authorities have denied.
Poll shows ruling party ahead
The opposition and student movement have intensified calls for an early parliamentary election in recent months, but the government has continued to reject those demands.
According to the latest opinion poll by Faktor Plus, an agency viewed by the opposition and student groups as being close to the ruling authorities, the SNS enjoys support from about 47 percent of voters, while the student movement has just under 31 percent support.
