Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić announced on Thursday evening that the country will hold early parliamentary elections in October, with the vote likely to take place on either 18 or 25 October.
This means the elections will be held more than a year earlier than originally planned. The announcement was made during an appearance on the national television channel RTS.
Serbia has seen ongoing protests for over eighteen months, with demonstrators expressing opposition to the government and widespread corruption in the country. One of the main demands from protesters has been the holding of early elections.
At the end of June, Vučić told an event organised by his party in Belgrade that he intended to step down from his current position "in the near future". There is speculation in Belgrade that Vučić may be considering a return to the role of prime minister, a post he previously held from 2014 to 2017 before becoming president.
