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.
“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.
On Sunday, people braved a heatwave 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.
