Serbia PM resigns after mass protests demanding accountability for railway station disaster News
Serbian Army, CC BY 3.0 RS, via Wikimedia Commons
Serbia PM resigns after mass protests demanding accountability for railway station disaster

Serbia’s Prime Minister Milos Vucevic announced his resignation on Tuesday amid ongoing protests that have erupted since the deadly collapse of a railway station roof last November. Vucevic and his government will remain in office until a new prime minister is elected and a new government is formed.

Milos Vucevic explained during a press conference that he made this “irrevocable” decision to demonstrate his responsibility towards the people as an elected official and to reduce the growing divisions and tension within Serbian society. Additionally, he announced that the mayor of Novi Sad, Milan Đuric, will also resign from his position, hoping that their resignations can restore peace for Serbia to reconvene political and social dialogue.

Vucevic added that his resignation came in response to Monday’s violent attacks against protesting students in Novi Sad, during which a girl was injured. On the night of January 27, protesting students started a 24-hour blockade of a major highway in Belgrade when a group of unidentified men emerged from the Serbian Progressive Party’s premises and physically attacked the protesters. The prime minister stressed the need to arrest the perpetrators of this assault and noted the increasing number of attacks that have been targeting the buildings of the Serbian Progressive Party. He elaborated that the incident at Novi Sad’s train station has been politically abused to destabilize Serbia by inciting division and conflict among the people while hampering the government’s efforts to promote social dialogue.

Serbia’s Foreign Minister Marko Đurić described Vucevic’s decision to resign as an act of “courage and responsibility,” emphasizing that the prime minister prioritized the country’s interests above all else.

Milos Vucecic previously served as the mayor of Novi Sad from 2012 to 2022, during which the city’s train station underwent renovations. In November 2024, the railway station’s canopy collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 15 people. This event prompted widespread protests in Serbia, calling for accountability from those responsible and accusing government officials of corruption and negligence. Tensions escalated between the Serbian authorities and the public, leading to the suspension of classes and demands for the resignation of various officials, including Prime Minister Milos Vucevic.