According to reports by the Associated Press and others, on September 5 local time, the General Committee of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the ruling party in Serbia, unanimously decided to nominate Vucic as the leader of the list for the early parliamentary elections and as the candidate for Prime Minister. Vucic subsequently announced that he would resign from his presidency after completing recent national affairs activities and scheduled overseas visits, and would run as a candidate for Prime Minister in the elections.
At an internal party meeting in Niš, the Progressive Party approved the entire list of parliamentary candidates and confirmed that they would use the name 'Alexander Vuković – United Serbia' for their campaign, with Vuković leading the list.
Serbia's ruling party, the Serbian Progressive Party, General Committee of Serbia Media
After being nominated, Vucic stated that he would resign from his presidency after completing his recent diplomatic duties and national affairs, and then formally enter the election campaign.
He also announced his campaign strategy: the Progressive Party will conduct its campaign through grassroots visits, direct contact with voters, and social media. They plan to hold four large rallys in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, and Kragujevac.
In terms of policy commitments, Vucic stated that if he wins the election, the new government will significantly streamline its institutions, with only a Prime Minister and up to 12 ministers, making the size of the government less than half that of the current one. He said this would be 'the most efficient government in Serbian history'.
According to Serbian media, Vucic announced on the evening of the 4th that he would officially announce a postponement of the parliamentary elections on the morning of September 9th or 10th. He previously stated that voting was expected to take place on October 18th or 25th. According to Serbian law, there must be a gap of 45 to 60 days between the announcement of elections and the actual voting. Therefore, September 10th is the deadline for initiating the election process.
Since Serbia has a parliamentary system, the president cannot also serve as the prime minister. If Vučić resigns, Serbian Parliament's current speaker and former prime minister Blagojević will officially serve as the acting president until new presidential elections are held.
According to tradition, parliamentary elections in Serbia are held every four years. The current parliament was elected in December 2023, and it has been less than three years since then.
Vucic served as the Prime Minister of Serbia from 2014 to 2017. Later, he was elected president and was re-elected in 2022. According to Serbian constitution, the presidency is for a period of five years, with a maximum of one term. Therefore, Vucic, who has already served for two terms, cannot run for president again and has instead contested the position of Prime Minister.
Currently, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party remains the largest political force in the country. However, an opposition alliance supported by students is organizing a campaign with university professors, experts, and other professionals. The Associated Press believes that this parliamentary election, scheduled for October, will be the most significant political challenge faced by Vucic during his 14-year tenure in power.
