Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has announced that he will resign ahead of the early general elections to be held on October 25 and will participate in election campaign activities. Speaking to Serbian Pink television, Vucic stated that he would resign from the presidency on September 27 and would then travel across Serbia as "an ordinary citizen" to participate in election campaign efforts.
Vucic, who is the Prime Ministerial candidate for the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), set a very high target for the elections to be held on October 25, stating that he would consider it a failure if the electoral list bearing his name received less than 50 percent of the vote.
"I would like to have a duel"
Stating that after resigning from the presidency he would be ready to hold a televised duel with the candidate of the student movement that has been organizing anti-government protests, Vucic said, "I would like to have a duel, but their answer will be that it is unimportant."
Arguing that the protests held for two years have been led by a coalition consisting of opposition figures and civil society representatives, Vucic said, "Let the people see who knows the state better and which side knows what needs to be done first in this country. If they don't want to, I have other things to do. I will travel around Serbia and talk to people."
Referring to the student-led protesters announcing a list of candidates they will support under the title "Student List," Vucic claimed that the opposition movement could nominate former Governor of the National Bank of Serbia Dejan Soskic for Prime Minister. Vucic said, "We don't know what policy they will use to govern the state. They will bring back Soskic, who ruined our currency, the dinar, and the Central Bank. They will also bring anti-Serb boycott activists into the administration."
Vucic also claimed that if such an administration were to come to power, "Serbia would impose sanctions on Russia within three days."
Serbia to head to the polls on October 25
The next parliamentary elections in Serbia were scheduled for December 2027, but Vucic decided to call early elections following two years of student-led protests. Vucic, who dissolved parliament on September 9, had set the election date for October 25. Vucic, who has been in power for 12 years in the positions of Prime Minister and President, had faced anti-corruption protests that began after 16 people lost their lives when the concrete canopy of the train station in the northern city of Novi Sad collapsed in November 2024.
News Source: 12punto
