Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has acknowledged the possibility of holding early parliamentary elections in April. This comes in response to the resignation of the Prime Minister amid widespread anti-government protests in the country.
This information was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Reuters.
In a televised address, the Serbian president stated that his party, SNS (Serbian Progressive Party), must decide within 10 days whether to form a majority government or to conduct early parliamentary elections.
He specified that the new elections could take place in April.
According to observers, the resignation of Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević has destabilized the government controlled by Vučić, prompting the opposition to call for the formation of a temporary government.
In particular, the opposition party "Kreni-Promeni" has called for the establishment of a temporary government composed of experts approved by students.
However, in his current address to the nation, the Serbian president emphasized that there can be "no talk" of a temporary government.
It is worth noting that although Vučić's party won a decisive victory in the early parliamentary elections in 2023, it has been experiencing increasing pressure recently.
Opposition parties and human rights advocates accuse Vučić and his party SNS of voter bribery, suppression of media freedom, violence against opponents, corruption, and connections to organized crime.
The President of Serbia and his allies deny these accusations.
Amid the growing protests in Serbia, which began after the roof collapse at the railway station in the city of Novi Sad in November last year, resulting in 15 deaths, and continue to escalate, the ministers of trade as well as construction, transport, and infrastructure have also resigned.
However, this has not calmed the protesters. Thousands of students, teachers, and other participants in the protests attribute the cause of the disaster at the Novi Sad station to corruption within Vučić's government.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister Vučević, after announcing his resignation, stated that he "took this step to ease the tension." He added that the mayor of Novi Sad would also resign.
According to the former Prime Minister, this "satisfied all the demands of the most radical protesters."
Additionally, Vučić urged opposition political forces not to boycott the parliamentary elections if they take place.
Earlier, it was reported that in November 2024, an anti-government rally began in the capital of Serbia, Belgrade. This occurred following the disaster at the railway station that claimed lives.
Also, it is worth reminding that on December 24, 2023, there were protests in the Serbian capital against the election results.