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Vučić proposes a 12-minister cabinet as Serbia’s campaign opens

Aleksandar Vučić used a Belgrade rally to propose cutting Serbia’s cabinet from 31 ministers to 12 and to launch his bid for prime minister. The parliamentary election is scheduled for 25 October. His Serbian Progressive Party faces candidates backed by the student-led protest movement, whose campaign grew from demands for accountability after the Novi Sad station canopy collapse.

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Aleksandar Vučić addresses listeners in an indoor arena from a plain lectern beside Serbian national flags.

A smaller cabinet on the campaign platform

Former Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić opened his campaign for prime minister at Belgrade Arena on 3 October. He addressed thousands of supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party ahead of the parliamentary election scheduled for 25 October. The rally combined his bid to return to government with proposals for how a new administration would operate. Vučić said voter support for his list would mean a cabinet of 12 ministers instead of 31, with himself as prime minister. He opposed allocating two or three ministries to each party as part of political bargaining and said he would refuse to lead a government built on those compromises.[1], [2]

Vučić also proposed directing tax-funded transfers towards the poorest municipalities, specifically naming five districts in southern Serbia. He promised higher teacher salaries while accusing educational centres of politicisation. His education remarks included dismissals and competition involving domestic and foreign universities. He told supporters he would regard a result below 50 per cent of the vote as a failure.[1]

The presidency gives way to a parliamentary contest

The snap election was called before Vučić resigned as president on 27 September, cutting his second term short by more than seven months. He has dominated Serbian politics as president or prime minister since 2014 and cannot seek a third presidential term. He is now running on his party’s parliamentary ballot. A majority of seats for that party would put his premiership bid before parliament; the election result therefore remains central to his return to the office. Polls cited in the campaign coverage suggested a potentially tight race against candidates backed by the student-led protest movement.[2]

Novi Sad protests reach the ballot

The protest movement grew from demands for accountability after a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, Serbia, on 1 November 2024, killing 16 people. Its electoral arm, the Student List, includes university professors, teachers, experts and people from across the political spectrum. Vučić accused it of trying to halt Serbia and alleged foreign-agent support without supplying evidence. At the arena, N1’s reporter observed some attendees leaving before his speech ended. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico did not attend; the Serbian Progressive Party attributed his absence to his doctor’s advice against flying.[2], [1]

References

  1. News sourceN1Vučić proposes a 12-minister government at Belgrade rally↩1↩2↩3
  2. News sourceAl JazeeraVučić launches his campaign for Serbia’s premiership↩1↩2↩3
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