Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic said he plans to resign in the coming months and is considering running for prime minister in the next parliamentary elections, Beta news agency reported on June 11.

Speaking to Radio Belgrade on June 10, Vucic said he could step down in “three, four months, maybe even earlier,” adding that his resignation “will not be a surprise to anyone.”

“I am not talking about shortening my term, but resigning,” he said, according to Beta.

Vucic, who has served as president since 2017 and was re-elected in 2022, is constitutionally barred from seeking another presidential term when his mandate expires in 2027.

He said he had already begun preparing to leave office.

“I have started packing books in the Presidency,” he said, adding that he plans to donate around 1,200 books received during his term to an institution.

He also said he was thinking “every day” about a possible bid for prime minister, while the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) considers its candidate for the presidency.

“It will be someone more responsible, more educated and more energetic,” Vucic said of a potential presidential successor.

Parliamentary elections are due by the end of 2027, but Vucic has indicated they could be held earlier, announcing last month that a vote may take place between late September and mid-October.

The SNS, which has held power since 2012, retains a parliamentary majority but faces mounting pressure from student-led demonstrations triggered by the November 2024 Novi Sad railway station collapse.

If the SNS wins the next election, Vucic is likely to remain the dominant political figure as prime minister. However, a weaker electoral result could lead to a more fragmented government and increased political instability.

The prolonged period of SNS rule has drawn criticism from opponents, who describe Serbia’s political system as increasingly centralised, with limited checks and balances and persistent tensions between the government and opposition.