The President of Serbia has officially announced snap parliamentary elections

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has signed a decree dissolving the National Assembly and scheduling snap parliamentary elections for October 25, BBC reports. Vučić delivered an eight-minute address to the nation before signing the dissolution document live on air. It will take effect once officially published.

On Monday, the Serbian government formally requested that the president dissolve parliament and call early elections for the Assembly. The following day, Aleksandar Vučić announced on state broadcaster RTS that he agreed to the request. “The elections will take place on October 25,” Vučić stated.

The decision comes amid massive student protests that have been ongoing for nearly two years. They were triggered by a tragedy in the city of Novi Sad, where a concrete canopy collapsed at a railway station in November 2024, killing 16 people. Outraged residents demanded that authorities make public all documentation regarding the station’s renovation, which had been completed shortly before the accident. Protesters then began demanding investigations not only into the contractors involved, but also into the relevant ministers. The protests subsequently spread nationwide.

Demonstrators accused Aleksandar Vučić personally, along with cabinet ministers and the ruling party, of widespread corruption. Their core demands were the resignation of both the president and the government, followed by early parliamentary elections.