Serbia's Vučić Pardons 49 Before Resigning To Fight October Election as PM Candidate

Serbia's Aleksandar Vučić resigned as president in Belgrade on Sunday to run for prime minister in the early parliamentary election on 25 October, saying he had first pardoned 49 people.

The resignation and pardons follow nearly two years of protests triggered by a deadly railway station canopy collapse. Vučić, who cannot seek a third presidential term, will lead the Serbian Progressive Party into an early election against a student-backed movement.

Vučić's Pardons and Departure

Vučić said 23 of those pardoned had been prosecuted for alleged offences during the protests. They included a group of anti-government activists who fled Serbia after being accused of anti-state activities.

'I am resigning the duty of the President of the Republic,' he said, reading his resignation. Before signing, he addressed supporters outside the presidency building, where the crowd chanted his name. 'But I look to the future with joy, new victories await us,' he told them.

His second presidential term would have ended next May. Ana Brnabić, the outgoing speaker of Serbia's 250-member parliament and a former prime minister, will serve as acting president. Vučić said the first round of an early presidential election must take place by the end of the year under a 90-day deadline.

Serbia's prime minister formally holds greater powers than its president. Vučić nevertheless dominated decision-making during his two five-year presidential terms, sometimes presiding over government sessions and announcing major policies.

Vučić has been either prime minister or president for the past 12 years. His party, which came to power in 2012, has gradually extended its control across state institutions, according to the Associated Press.

Vučić Faces Student Challenge

The 1 November 2024 collapse at Novi Sad's railway station killed 16 people. Students' demands for accountability developed into a wider campaign against corruption, challenging a government that has held power for 14 years.

The student-backed electoral list includes experts, professors, teachers and athletes. Groups of students have cycled across Serbia to campaign for the rule of law and an end to corruption.

Analysts cited by the Associated Press said the two sides were polling closely. Other contenders include Vučić's Socialist Party allies, a pro-EU opposition alliance and several smaller groups.

Vučić has toured the country with extensive coverage on pro-government media, opening roads, offering financial assistance and cheaper medicines, and visiting voters at home.

The Independent Bureau for Social Research, known as BIRODI, has filed a complaint alleging that he used the presidency to promote his party. Vučić dismissed the allegation. The Associated Press reported no response from the anti-corruption authorities.

Vučić's party denies abusing office and says it is committed to fighting corruption. Authorities have responded to protests with police violence and detentions. Vučić has accused opponents and critical media of seeking to 'destroy the state' under unspecified foreign influence, without offering evidence.

Serbia's efforts to join the European Union have meanwhile stalled over democratic backsliding and its refusal to join sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Speaking to state-run RTS Television on Sunday, Vučić alleged that foreign powers and unidentified people inside Serbia planned to stir unrest on election night. He said that from Monday he would be 'everywhere in Serbia to listen to the people.'