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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hinted at the possibility of a snap election in April following the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic on Tuesday, a move that comes amid escalating anti-government protests.
Vucevic’s resignation marks the highest-ranking official departure after a tragic roof collapse at a railway station in Novi Sad last November, which killed 15 people and sparked months of public demonstrations.
The incident has led to growing discontent
with Vucic’s government, with the opposition now calling for an interim government to take charge.
In a televised address on Tuesday evening, Vucic said his party would take 10 days to decide whether to form a majority government or proceed with a snap parliamentary election.
“The new election could be held in April,” Vucic confirmed, adding, “An interim government is out of the question.”
Vucic’s statement represents a significant shift from his previous stance, as his party had easily won a snap election in 2023. However, pressure has been mounting in recent weeks, with protests initially sparked in Novi Sad now spreading to Belgrade.
Thousands of students, teachers, and workers have joined the protests, accusing the government of corruption and linking the railway station disaster to mismanagement.
The ministers for construction, transportation, and infrastructure, along with the trade minister, have already resigned over the incident, but protests have continued unabated.
“I opted for this step in order to defuse tensions,” Vucevic said in a press conference announcing his resignation. He added that the mayor of Novi Sad would also step down. “With this, we have met all demands of the most radical protesters.”
However, student leaders of the protests were not appeased.
“Those who have been fuelling tensions for the past 13 years are now trying to defuse tensions,” said Lazar Stojakovic of the Faculty of Organisational Science at Belgrade University, posting on X.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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