By Ivana Sekularac
KRALJEVO, Serbia, June 28 (Reuters) – Thousands of protesters descended on the Serbian city of Kraljevo on Sunday, keeping up pressure on President Aleksandar Vucic a day after he said he would step down within weeks to pave the way for early presidential and parliamentary elections.
Although many protesters expressed satisfaction over Vucic’s resignation, they fear he may not fully relinquish power. Analysts say he may try to run for prime minister and install an ally in the presidency so he can continue to wield power.
“I cannot imagine that he will step down and leave power to someone else,” said Marko Djokic, a 41-year-old IT expert who returned to his home city for the protests.
Vucic, who has been in power as prime minister or president for 12 years, has faced months of student-led protests sparked by the collapse of a concrete awning at a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad in late 2024 that killed 16 people.
The incident became a symbol of what many Serbians see as government mismanagement and corruption under Vucic. The ensuing protests have been the largest in Serbia since the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. Vucic denies any corruption.
On Sunday, people braved a heat wave to gather for a protest at a central square in Kraljevo, where banners read “Students are winning”. Thousands of protesters waved Serbian flags as they rallied peacefully.
“We cannot go on like this, things need to change,” said Ilija Cordasic, who joined in from the northeastern city of Zrenjanin.
Jelena Danicic, a Serbian-language professor, said before the rally: “This is not just a political struggle but a fight between good and evil.”
Analysts expect Brussels and Moscow to be watching closely how events play out in the coming weeks.
The EU has condemned the use of force against peaceful protesters in Serbia and has raised concerns about press freedom and the independence of the judiciary.
Serbia, which sits on the EU’s eastern doorstep, is a candidate to join the bloc, but Belgrade still has strong ties with Russia and China. Vucic has walked a fine line diplomatically as he tried to balance those relationships.
Before Serbia can join the EU, it must improve its rule of law, including conditions for free and fair elections, and root out corruption and organised crime. It also has to align its foreign policies with those of the bloc and establish relations with its former province Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008.
(Reporting by Ivana Sekularac; Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Edward McAllister, Renee Maltezou, Alexander Smith and Edmund Klamann)
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