Serbia's ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has formally invited President Aleksandar Vučić to head its electoral list in the next parliamentary election and become its candidate for prime minister, confirming an expected political reshuffle that would allow him to remain the country's dominant political figure after stepping down as president.

SNS president Miloš Vučević said in an interview with Radio Belgrade on July 2 that the party had issued an "open invitation" to Vucic and was awaiting his final decision.

"We expect Vučić to be on the list with us," Vučević said. "We would like him to lead our list and, if our list wins the elections, we see him as our candidate for prime minister."

The announcement follows Vučićs declaration at a pro-government rally in Belgrade on June 27 that he would resign as president within weeks and trigger early presidential and parliamentary elections.

Although the move had been widely anticipated by political observers, Tuesday's statement is the first formal confirmation by the ruling party that it wants Vucic to return to executive office as prime minister after the elections.

Vucevic said the SNS would also nominate "a worthy candidate" to succeed Vucic as president, describing the future nominee as someone capable of winning the election. He declined to say whether the candidate would come from within the party or be an independent figure.

If implemented, the plan would restore Vucic to the premiership while placing a loyal ally in the largely ceremonial presidency, maintaining his central role in Serbia's political system despite relinquishing the head of state office.

The elections are expected to take place after nearly 20 months of student-led anti-government protests, sparked by the deadly collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024 that has evolved into a broader movement against corruption.

Despite growing public dissatisfaction, the SNS remains Serbia's dominant political force, benefiting from a nationwide party organisation and control over state institutions.

Recent opinion polls suggest, however, that its electoral dominance may be very gradually weakening. Surveys have shown declining confidence in the country's direction and growing support for an emerging student-backed electoral bloc, although the ruling party remains the clear favourite to win the next election.

The latest survey by Faktor plus, published on June 27, shows that, if elections were held now, the SNS would win as much as 47.1% of the vote, while together with the Socialists they would have over 50%. The second strongest political force in the elections would be the Student List with 30.7% of the vote.

Ahead of the expected vote, the government has already employed the resources of the state to ensure its victory. On June 29, the president announced more than €600mn in higher wages, pension increases, one-off payments and tourism vouchers, including cash handouts for pensioners and welfare recipients.

The measures are consistent with previous Serbian election campaigns, when fiscal giveaways have been used to bolster support among key voting groups (pensioners and public sector workers).

Opposition politicians and independent analysts say the government is using its media influence, political patronage and pre-election spending to maintain its grip on power. Vucic and the SNS say repeated electoral victories reflect broad public support for their economic policies.