Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić has resigned after more than a year of student-led protests and growing public discontent over allegations of government corruption. Mr Vučić, who cannot run for a third presidential term under Serbia's constitution, had announced his intention to resign in June.
Addressing supporters in Belgrade, Mr Vučić stated his administration had preserved peace and stability during his nine-year tenure. He is currently seeking to be his party's candidate for prime minister in upcoming parliamentary elections.
The protests, which included students, teachers, workers, and farmers, were galvanised by the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station's roof in 2024, which killed 16 people. Demonstrators believed the disaster reflected over a decade of governance by Mr Vučić's Progressive Party.
Parliamentary speaker Ana Brnabić, also a Progressive Party member, will assume the role of interim president. Presidential elections must be held within three months of Mr Vučić's resignation, meaning Serbians will go to the polls twice before the end of the year, with a snap parliamentary election scheduled for late October.
Before his resignation, Mr Vučić used his constitutional powers to pardon 49 individuals, including 23 students and party loyalists, for offences related to what he described as "terrible events we have gone through over the past year and a half."