Vucic surrenders in the face of mass protests, announces early elections

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has said he will call early parliamentary elections due to ongoing anti-government protests.

The unrest began in November 2024, after a roof collapsed at a railway station in Novi Sad, killing 16 people. Following the tragedy, activists accused the government of corruption and demanded early parliamentary elections and Vučić's resignation.

Vučić and his supporters claim that the protests are a foreign-sponsored attempt at regime change and part of a coordinated “color revolution” supported by Western governments through the use of NGOs. He has accused opposition forces of collaborating with Western, Croatian and Albanian intelligence agencies to overthrow his government.

Vucic told reporters on Sunday that parliamentary elections "will be held before the end of the mandate" of the current National Assembly, which expires in December 2027.

"The competent institutions in our country will make decisions in accordance with the Constitution and the law, but, regarding the protesters' demands to hold early elections... they will be held ahead of schedule," he said, adding that the exact date will be decided later.

In later comments, Vučić mentioned a “six-month mandate,” which some Serbian media interpreted as an allusion that early elections could be held as early as next year.

Vučić's announcement followed days of renewed demonstrations marking the first anniversary of the Novi Sad tragedy. Supporters and opponents of Vučić's ruling SNS party clashed in Belgrade on Sunday, despite police efforts to separate them. Serbian media reported that bottles and fireworks were thrown, with dozens arrested.

Under public pressure, the government previously offered concessions to protesters, including several ministerial resignations and the publication of documents related to the collapse of Novi Sad. /REL/