Serbia’s Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned on January 28 following widespread protests against government corruption, which were ignited by the deadly collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad last November. His resignation is the highest-profile political departure in Serbia since the protests began.

The wave of protests, which have largely been led by students, was sparked by the tragic incident on November 1, 2024, at Novi Sad's railway station, where a roof collapse resulted in the deaths of 15 people and left two others injured. In the weeks that followed, thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding accountability for the disaster and justice for those responsible. 

The prime minister, who has been in office for less than a year, announced his decision to step down in a statement, saying that he wanted to “avoid further complicating things” and “not raise tensions in society”. His resignation came after repeated calls for him to step down from protesters, who also demanded the resignation of Novi Sad’s mayor, Milan Djuric. Djuric followed suit, resigning shortly after Vucevic’s announcement.

In his resignation speech, Vucevic, leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), acknowledged the gravity of the tragedy that had overshadowed his time in office. “What cast a shadow over last year was the tragedy,” he said. “Serbia seems to be stuck in that accident.”

Tens of thousands of students have taken to the streets since November 2024. Students have organised near-daily demonstrations, staging sit-ins at universities, staging roadblocks and strikes, while receiving support from farmers, professors and even members of the Serbian diaspora. As bne IntelliNews reported, the disgruntled population is demanding societal change and not a colour revolution, party because it has no united opposition to back it. 

Protesters have placed the blame for the station collapse on the government and demanded the resignation of Vucevic, a former mayor of Novi Sad (2012-2022), as well as the current mayor, Djuric. Calls for accountability have extended to the arrest of those responsible for alleged errors during the station’s reconstruction and the disclosure of contracts with Chinese firms involved in the project. Students are also calling for the prosecution of people who have attacked students during the recent protests. 

On January 27, protesters in Belgrade blocked a major junction for 24 hours. They were joined by professors, farmers, bikers and later what seemed like the entire city. The blockade, which had also inspired protesters in other cities, turned violent late at night when a group of men, reportedly linked to the SNS, attacked student demonstrators in Novi Sad with baseball bats. One female student was hospitalised following the assault.

The attack sparked additional calls for action, ultimately leading to the resignation of the prime minister and Novi Sad’s mayor, who condemned the violence but did not comment on the political affiliation of the attackers. He urged authorities to swiftly investigate the assault and bring the perpetrators to justice. Djuric’s resignation was framed as an effort to restore stability and peace to the city.

In his parting statement, Vucevic expressed pride in his government’s accomplishments during his brief tenure, which began in April 2024. "The authorities managed to return the country to the inflation corridor, show outstanding economic success, and achieve second place in Europe for economic growth in 2024," Vucevic said as cited by Vedomosti. However, he acknowledged that the tragedy in Novi Sad made it impossible for him to continue as prime minister, stating that he must take responsibility for the incident.

Following the prime minister's resignation, President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed he would be reshuffling his cabinet, replacing some 50% of current ministers. The government agreed to meet for an extraordinary session on the evening of January 28 to discuss whether there would be new elections and how a new prime minister and government of Serbia will be elected, since the current document is now working on a technical mandate. 

This is the biggest political crisis the government of President Vucic and the SNS has faced since taking office 13 years ago. It is unlikely that the latest resignations will placate the protesters, despite heeding some of the students' demands. Students in Belgrade insist that some of their demands have still not been met and have already announced another protest for January 30, when they plan to march from the capital to Novi Sad.