Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has resigned as the leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) at a party congress, claiming that the country needs a new approach to bring unity. Vucic will remain the head of state. The move comes as thousands of people from Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Bosnia rallied in support of Vucic following anti-government protests over two mass shootings that killed 18 people earlier this month. Another anti-government protest is scheduled for later today.
The SNS leadership has accepted Vucic’s resignation offer and appointed Defense Minister Milos Vucevic to replace him, as Vucic had proposed. Vucic stated that a different approach is needed to unite a greater number of people who want to fight for a successful Serbia that will focus on its citizens, and not look for reasons for division.
Opposition Parties Accuse Vucic of Autocracy, Corruption, and Ties with Organized Crime
Opposition parties and rights watchdogs have long accused Vucic and his party of autocracy, corruption, violence against political opponents, stifling media freedoms, and ties with organized crime. However, Vucic and his allies deny these accusations.
Vucic told the congress that he would stay head of state and remain a party member. Following his appointment, Vucevic confirmed that the SNS would join an umbrella political organization that Vucic plans to create on June 28. The new movement for the SNS and its allies is unofficially named the People’s Movement For The State.
Vucic’s Political Career and Serbia’s Strategic Goals
Vucic became president of the SNS in 2012, following Tomislav Nikolic, who held the post since 2008 when the party was formed as an offshoot of the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party. He first served as the deputy prime minister and prime minister, and was then elected president in 2017 and 2022. His second and last term expires in 2027. Along with its allies, the SNS holds a majority of 164 seats in the 250-member parliament.
During the wars in the 1990s, Vucic was a nationalist firebrand. However, he later embraced pro-European policies, proclaiming Serbia’s membership in the European Union as its strategic goal. Vucic also maintains close ties with Russia and China.
Vucic’s resignation as the leader of the SNS is seen as a step towards bringing unity to the country. However, the accusations of autocracy, corruption, and ties with organized crime against Vucic and his party have yet to be resolved. The formation of the People’s Movement For The State and Serbia’s strategic goals towards the European Union will be closely watched.
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