Serbians keep up protests after President Vucic says he will step down

Thousands of protesters descended on the Serbian city of Kraljevo on Sunday, keeping up pressure on President Aleksandar Vucic a day after he said he…

Thousands of protesters descended on the Serbian city of Kraljevo on Sunday, keeping up pressure on President Aleksandar Vucic a day after he said he would step down ‌within weeks to pave the way for early presidential and parliamentary elections.

Although many protesters expressed satisfaction with Vucic’s resignation, they fear he may not fully relinquish power. Analysts say he may try to run for prime minister and install an ally in the presidency so he can continue to wield power.

“I cannot imagine that he will step down and leave power to someone else,” said Marko Djokic, a 41-year-old IT expert who returned to his home ⁠city for the protests.

Vucic, who has been in power as prime minister or president for 12 years, has faced months of ‌student-led protests sparked by the collapse of a concrete awning at a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad in late 2024 that killed 16 people.

The incident became a ‌symbol of what many Serbians see as government mismanagement and corruption under Vucic. The ensuing protests have been the ⁠largest in Serbia since ⁠the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. Vucic denies any corruption.

On Sunday, people braved a heatwave to gather for a protest at a central square ‌in Kraljevo, where banners read “Students are winning”. Thousands of protesters waved Serbian flags as they rallied peacefully.

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