‘NOT THE END OF VUCIC’
Vucic is unlikely to depart from the political stage as his resignation could pave the way for him to become prime minister if his party triumphs in parliamentary elections. That would continue a long trend in which the power in Serbia follows Vucic, regardless of his title.
Analysts said Vucic would try to place an ally as his successor in the presidency so he can continue to hold the levers of power.
“This is not at all the end of Vucic,” said Radivoje Grujic, a Warsaw-based analyst. “He already has a plan, one that definitely does not mean he’s going to go into political retirement, quite the opposite.”
Still, the timing of Saturday’s announcement suggests the protests, the biggest string of rallies since the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000, have played a role.
Days ago, in the city of Novi Sad, students commemorated victims of the disaster and demanded snap general elections. Another student rally is scheduled for Sunday in the town of Kraljevo, in south-central Serbia.
Activists from the student-led movement and the opposition have both said they want to challenge Vucic and the SNS in the elections.
Savo Manojlovic, head of the student opposition Move-Change movement, said: “By resigning and with early presidential and parliamentary elections, Vucic is trying to preempt his inevitable fall, because of protests and because of the student movement, which has more support than he does.”