Serbia moves toward an early election after months of protests

Serbia’s government has proposed dissolving parliament, opening the way for an early election that President Aleksandar Vucic says could be held on October 18 or 25. Prime Minister Djuro Macut announced the move in Belgrade on Monday.

The proposal follows nearly two years of anti-government unrest and comes after student-led protesters repeatedly demanded an early parliamentary vote. Parliament elections were otherwise not due until December next year.

Why the government is calling an early vote

Macut said an election could help ease tensions in a country facing protests, blockades, divisions, problems in education and pressure on state institutions. He described the call for an early parliamentary election as a demand that a responsible government should not ignore.

The protests intensified after 16 people were killed when a concrete canopy collapsed at a railway station in 2024. The persistent, anticorruption demonstrations have become the strongest challenge yet to Vucic, who has led Serbia as president or prime minister for 12 years.

What is at stake for Vucic and his opponents

The election will test how firmly Vucic still controls Serbian politics. His Serbian Progressive Party nominated him on Saturday to run for prime minister, creating the possibility that he could seek that role after the vote.

Opposition groups and demonstrators accuse Vucic and his allies of violence against political opponents, corruption, connections to organised crime and restrictions on media freedom. Vucic and his allies deny wrongdoing. His opponents also criticise the stalled bid for European Union membership, while Vucic has maintained close relations with Russia and China. For additional context, see “Kazakhstan’s snap vote is set to reshape parliament”.

The president faced additional EU pressure in the past week after former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, convicted by a United Nations court, was buried as a hero in Serbia on Monday.

What happens next

Vucic is expected to set the election date in the coming days; once the process advances, the constitution requires between 45 and 60 days of campaigning.