Serbia has entered one of those tense, unsettled political moments when a resignation changes the formal picture overnight, while leaving the deeper struggle completely open. Aleksandar Vucic is no longer president. His political influence, his party's machinery and the anger that has filled Serbia's streets for nearly two years have not disappeared. The country now faces a parliamentary election on October 25 and a presidential vote by the end of December.
By the Editorial Team of TLF
1. What happened?
Aleksandar Vucic resigned as Serbia's president on September 27. He said he wanted to take part in the coming parliamentary election as an ordinary citizen, though this is plainly a major political move rather than a retreat from public life. Vucic has led Serbia as prime minister or president since 2012 and is barred from seeking another presidential term.
He is now heading the Serbian Progressive Party's electoral list and is expected to seek the prime minister's post after the October 25 parliamentary election. In Serbia's system, the prime minister runs the government day to day. A switch from the presidency to that office could allow Vucic to remain at the centre of power.
2. Who is running the country now?
Ana Brnabic, the speaker of the National Assembly and a close Vucic ally, took over presidential duties on September 28. Her role is temporary. Serbian law allows the parliamentary speaker to act as president for no more than three months after a president resigns.
That means Serbia must hold a presidential election by late December. Brnabic can keep the office functioning, but she does not have an open-ended mandate to reshape the political landscape. The immediate state machinery is intact. The question is whether public trust in it is.
3. Why did Vucic resign now?
The short answer is elections. The longer answer begins in Novi Sad.
On November 1, 2024, the collapse of a concrete canopy at the city's railway station killed 16 people. What began as grief and demands for accountability grew into a nationwide protest movement, led in large part by students. Many Serbs came to see the disaster as a symbol of corruption, weak oversight and a political system that seemed closed to scrutiny.
Protests have continued for almost two years, sometimes bringing hundreds of thousands of people into the streets. Vucic's decision to call an early parliamentary election answered a central demand of the student movement. His resignation lets him campaign directly for the government leadership, where he could preserve formal authority if his party wins.
4. Is this a victory for the protesters?
It is a real concession, but it is not the ending protesters have been waiting for.
They pushed the government toward an early election after months of demonstrations, arrests, pressure on activists and confrontations with police. That has changed the political timetable. Yet the ruling Serbian Progressive Party still has a deep national organization, a powerful presence in mainstream media and years of experience turning state power into electoral advantage.
The student-backed list is expected to bring together professors, experts and figures outside the familiar party circuit. That has given many voters hope. It also means the opposition has a hard job: turning the energy of the streets into polling-station organization, credible candidates and protection against irregularities on election day.
5. What should the world watch next?
First, the October 25 parliamentary election. It will show whether the protest movement can break the ruling party's hold on government, or whether Vucic can return in a new role with a renewed mandate.
Second, watch the conditions around the vote. International observers previously raised concerns about media bias, misuse of public resources and other irregularities in Serbian elections. The treatment of journalists, students, activists and election monitors will matter as much as campaign speeches.
Then comes the presidential contest. Serbia will be voting twice in quick succession, with the country still sharply divided over corruption, democratic freedoms, relations with the European Union, and Vucic's long political shadow. The resignation has opened a door. Serbia's voters will decide whether anyone actually walks through it.
Updated: September 28, 2026. Reporting based on statements from the Serbian government and coverage by AFP, AP and N1 Belgrade. Serbian government | Acting presidency details | AP reporting | AFP reporting | N1 Belgrade reporting
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