Belgrade: Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic announced his resignation on Tuesday at a press conference at the government building in Belgrade, citing “elevated tensions” sparked by a collapse at Novi Sad railway station in November last year.
Vucevic, along with other current ministers, will continue leading the government in technical mandate until the election of a new government, Xinhua news agency reported.
Serbia’s PM resigned after weeks of massive anti-corruption protests sparked by the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy in Novi Sad last November.
The canopy collapse, which killed 15 people in the northern city of Novi Sad, has become a flashpoint reflecting wider discontent with the increasingly autocratic rule of Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic. The incident intensified long-held anger over corruption and the lack of oversight in construction projects, amplifying criticism of Vucic’s government, which has faced accusations of undermining democratic freedoms while pursuing European Union membership for Serbia.
The resignation of Prime Minister Vucevic is expected to trigger an early parliamentary election. Serbia’s parliament has 30 days to either confirm the resignation and form a new government or call for snap elections.
On Monday, tens of thousands of protesters, including university students on strike, gathered for a 24-hour blockade of a major intersection in Belgrade. The students, who have been protesting for weeks, are demanding accountability for the canopy collapse, which they say is a result of government corruption.
Vucevic, who had served as Prime Minister for less than a year, previously held the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence from 2022 to 2024.
He also served as the mayor of Novi Sad from 2012 to 2022.
During his tenure, he received several prestigious awards, including the Charter of Honourary Senator of the Senate of the Economy of Serbia in 2014. In that same year, he was honored with the “Captain Misa Anastasijevic” award for his leadership in promoting European values in Novi Sad. Under his leadership, the city was recognised as the European Youth Capital in 2019 and the European Capital of Culture in 2021.
(IANS)
