Serbia's Vucic Dissolves Parliament, Sets Early Elections for October 25

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic dissolved the National Assembly (Skupstina) on September 9 and called snap parliamentary elections for October 25. Vucic said that delaying elections would endanger democracy and jeopardize the staging of the EXPO-2027 international exposition in Belgrade.

Political Background

The dissolution responds to a call from the Serbian government, which on September 7 urged the president to dissolve parliament. The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has unanimously nominated Vucic as its top candidate under the banner of a united Serbia and as its candidate for prime minister.

Vucic is serving his final presidential term under the current constitution. A parliamentary majority positioning him as prime minister would allow him to remain at the center of power after his presidential mandate expires.

Context

Plans for early elections were first announced in June, months after mass anti-government protests that started in December 2024 following the deadly collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad. Those protests reshaped Serbian politics and weakened the SNS, which is now seeking a fresh electoral mandate to consolidate its position before potential economic difficulties tied to EXPO-2027.