Overview
- Vučić announced in a televised address Thursday that Serbia will hold an early parliamentary election likely on October 18 or 25, with the exact date to be set in the coming days.
- He has not given a date for stepping down as president to trigger a presidential rerun, leaving the format and timing of any presidential vote unresolved.
- Analysts say Vučić, who has held the dominant political role for about 12 years, could return to power as prime minister if his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) wins.
- The decision follows roughly 18 months of mostly student-led protests that began after a Novi Sad station roof collapse in November 2024 killed 16 people and raised broad demands for accountability.
- Brussels says Serbia must improve rule of law, fight corruption and ensure free and fair elections before deeper EU integration, a set of conditions that the snap vote and unclear leadership changes may complicate.