Serbia's VučIć to resign within weeks and call snap elections

- Aleksandar Vučić has been Serbia's dominant political figure for over a decade, serving as Prime Minister (2014–2017) and then President (2017–present). He leads the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). - His rule has been marked by a mix of pro-EU and pro-Russia balancing, authoritarian tendencies (crackdowns on media, opposition, and civil society), and ongoing tensions with Kosovo. - The announcement of a resignation and snap election likely follows months of large anti-government protests triggered by a deadly railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad (November 2024), which many blamed on government corruption and cronyism. - Vučić has used the tactic of calling early elections before — often to reset his mandate and defuse crises while remaining firmly in control behind the scenes. - This matters because Serbia is a key Balkan crossroads: it is a formal EU candidate but also a close Russian ally, and its internal stability affects EU enlargement, Kosovo talks, and regional energy/security dynamics.