Serbia's President Vučić resigns – and already has a new target

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Aleksandar Vučić has abdicated as Serbia's president – half a year before the end of his term. Rather than staying in the presidential office until the end, the head of state is handing over his office early to a political ally. The move comes as a surprise, but follows a clear logic: Vučić wants to become head of government.

According to Der Spiegel, the "partly autocratic governing head of state" has resigned and handed over his office to an ally. Die Zeit confirms the timing: Vučić's term would not have expired for roughly another half a year. Both reports point in the same direction – away from the presidential seat in Belgrade, toward the top of government.

Why Vučić is now vacating the presidential seat

The available reports paint a clear picture: Vučić is using the resignation to clear the path for his next career move. Who takes over the presidency in Belgrade is already settled according to Der Spiegel – a long-time ally. Who sets the political course there in the medium term is to be Vučić himself again, this time as prime minister.

Die Zeit explicitly places the move in the context of a parliamentary election – the report references the "parliamentary election in Serbia" connection already in the headline. What precise role the election plays in the timing of the resignation cannot be conclusively reconstructed from the available reports. What is certain is only this: Vučić is not giving up power, he is switching the piece of furniture.

The plan behind the resignation

Vučić has governed Serbia with an iron fist for years – Der Spiegel describes him as "partly autocratic in his governing style." By handing over the office to a loyalist, his political camp remains at the top of the state, while he himself moves into a position that in many parliamentary systems concentrates the actual governing power: the office of head of government.

With the move, he wants to switch from the presidential office to the office of premier.

An early presidential resignation is unusual. The fact that it comes roughly six months before the end of the term signals that it is not a matter of personal reasons, but a political course-setting. Who pulls the strings in Belgrade going forward is, at first glance, not supposed to change.

What the change means for Serbia

For the people of Serbia, the resignation is above all an open question: What changes? Will the previous line on dealings with the EU, on the Kosovo conflict, on economic policy be maintained? Or does the shift from president to premier herald a new phase in which power is somewhat more visibly concentrated in the prime minister?

The brief news situation provides no answer to this yet. What is clear is only the picture both sources paint: Vučić is not stepping back, he is trading positions. The succession goes to a confidante, the political weight remains in his own camp.

What is known – and what is not yet

Spiegel and Zeit report in agreement:

• Aleksandar Vučić has resigned as president of Serbia.
• He plans to move to the top of government as prime minister.
• The succession in the presidential office goes to a political ally.
• The resignation takes place roughly half a year before the regular end of his term.

What remains unclear from the available reports is exactly when the handover of office will take place, how the transition phase is arranged, and what role the parliamentary election specifically plays for the timing. Further details are expected to follow from Belgrade in the coming days.