Serbia’s populist President Vucic resigns to run for Prime Minister at early vote

Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vučić resigned Sunday to pursue a bid to become Prime Minister in an upcoming early Parliamentary election that will test his firm rule in the Balkan country, which was rattled by nearly two years of protests.

Mr. Vučić's second presidential term would otherwise end in May next year. He is banned by the Serbian Constitution from seeking a third term and said he was resigning to lead his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party in the October 25 ballot.

The governing populists face a major challenge at the ballot box from a youth-backed movement that led the protests triggered by the November 1, 2024, train station canopy collapse that killed 16 people in the northern city of Novi Sad.