Aleksandar Vučić resigned as president of Serbia on 27 September 2026, well before his second term was due to end in May 2027, to lead his Serbian Progressive Party in the snap parliamentary election called for 25 October 2026. Parliament speaker Ana Brnabić became acting president, and a separate presidential election must be held within the three-month constitutional deadline.
Aleksandar Vučić stepped down as president of Serbia on 27 September 2026, ending a second five-year term that was not due to finish until May 2027. He resigned so he could stand as the Serbian Progressive Party's (SNS) candidate for prime minister in a snap parliamentary election scheduled for 25 October 2026, according to Euronews.
The Serbian constitution limits the presidency to two five-year terms, which barred Vučić from seeking a third term. Standing for prime minister instead lets him remain in the country's executive leadership if his party retains control of parliament.
I am resigning the duty of the President of the Republic.
— Aleksandar Vučić, in his resignation address, according to Euronews
In the same address, Vučić said he had made mistakes but had worked diligently in the role, according to Euronews.
Who takes over, and what happens next
Under the Serbian constitution, when a president resigns or is incapacitated, the speaker of the National Assembly becomes acting president until a new president is elected, within a 90-day deadline. Ana Brnabić, the outgoing parliament speaker and a former prime minister, became acting president following Vučić's resignation, according to Euronews.
A separate presidential election must therefore be held within roughly three months of the resignation, with a first round expected by the end of 2026, in addition to the 25 October parliamentary vote, Euronews reported.
Why the elections were called early
Vučić dissolved the National Assembly on 9 September 2026 and called the snap parliamentary election, even though a regular vote was not due until December 2027, according to the English Wikipedia entry on the 2026 Serbian parliamentary election.
The SNS had already nominated Vučić as its prime ministerial candidate before his resignation, the same Wikipedia summary states.
Nearly two years of protests
The vote comes after close to two years of student-led demonstrations that began after a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, killing 16 people. The disaster triggered sustained protests over alleged corruption and government accountability; Wikipedia's entry on the 2026 Serbian parliamentary election reports a crowd of between 180,000 and 190,000 people at a demonstration on 23 May 2026.
Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned in January 2025 amid the unrest and was replaced in April 2025 by Đuro Macut, according to the Wikipedia election page.
Main contenders in the October vote
SNS is running at the head of a coalition called "United Serbia," with Vučić as its candidate for prime minister. A protest-linked group called the "Student List," with Ilija Srdanović as its registered ballot holder, is standing against the ruling party, alongside opposition coalitions including "European Serbia," led by Marinika Tepić and Zdravko Ponoš, and "Authentic Right," led by Miloš Jovanović. The Socialist Party of Serbia is contesting the election as part of a bloc called "Factor of Stability," per Wikipedia's election summary.
Key dates in Serbia's 2026 political transition
Date
Event
1 Nov 2024
Novi Sad railway station canopy collapses, killing 16 people
Jan 2025
Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigns amid protests
Apr 2025
Đuro Macut becomes prime minister
Early Sep 2026
SNS nominates Vučić as its PM candidate
9 Sep 2026
Vučić dissolves the National Assembly, calling snap elections
27 Sep 2026
Vučić resigns as president; Ana Brnabić becomes acting president
25 Oct 2026
Parliamentary election date
Regional and EU context
Euronews reported that Vučić's government has faced accusations of corruption and democratic backsliding, issues that have also slowed Serbia's European Union accession process. Euronews described the parliamentary vote as a test of Vučić's 14 years in power amid the protest movement's challenge to his rule.
Questions
Why did Aleksandar Vučić resign as president?
He resigned so he could run for prime minister of Serbia, a post he cannot hold while serving as president, in the snap parliamentary election called for 25 October 2026. The constitution also barred him from a third presidential term.
Who is acting president of Serbia now?
Ana Brnabić, the outgoing speaker of the National Assembly and a former prime minister, became acting president on 27 September 2026 under the constitutional succession rule.
When is Serbia's presidential election?
The constitution requires a new presidential election within roughly three months of a resignation, so a first round is expected to be held by the end of 2026, separate from the 25 October parliamentary vote.
What triggered the protests behind the snap election?
A railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, killing 16 people, sparking nearly two years of student-led demonstrations over alleged corruption and lack of accountability.
Who is running against Vučić's party in the parliamentary election?
The main challengers include the protest-linked Student List, the European Serbia coalition led by Marinika Tepić and Zdravko Ponoš, the Authentic Right bloc led by Miloš Jovanović, and the Socialist Party of Serbia's Factor of Stability coalition.
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