Serbia's parliament speaker Ana Brnabic took over as acting president on September 28 after Aleksandar Vucic resigned seven months before the end of his second term, paving the way for him to seek the prime minister's post in a snap parliamentary election next month.

Brnabic, a close ally of Vucic and a former prime minister, will serve as acting president until a new head of state is elected. Under Serbia's constitution, the presidential election must be held within three months of the president's resignation.

"I will guard this position until the people elect a new president," Brnabic said at a ceremony in the presidency where Vucic handed over his duties, public broadcaster RTS reported.

Vucic announced his resignation on September 27, saying he would lead the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) ticket in the October 25 parliamentary election. His resignation allows him to seek appointment as prime minister if the SNS and its allies can form the next government.

Vucic, 56, has dominated Serbian politics for more than a decade. He became president in 2017 after serving as prime minister, but despite the formally ceremonial role retained strong influence over the SNS and successive governments.

The October 25 election comes amid sustained political pressure on Vucic and the SNS following nearly two years of student-led anti-government protests triggered by the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in the northern city of Novi Sad, which killed 16 people.

The protests have focused on corruption, accountability for the disaster and demands for early elections. Rights groups have accused the authorities of using pressure and excessive force against protesters, allegations the government denies.

The main challenge to the SNS in the parliamentary election will come from a student-backed electoral list led by Ilija Srdanovic, a 56-year-old cardiologist from Novi Sad. Other opposition groups are also participating in the vote, including a pro-EU coalition of opposition parties called European Serbia.

The student movement and other parties have yet to announce presidential candidates.

On September 27, before formally resigning, Vucic said he had pardoned 49 people in connection with incidents linked to the protests, including 12 activists and students accused by authorities of attempting to undermine the constitutional order and 11 people who had participated in clashes with protesters.

Vucic said the pardons were an act of mercy because of the defendants' young age, while saying he still believed some had planned to seize state institutions.

Two activists who were living abroad after being prosecuted in connection with the protests told Serbian media they did not intend to return despite the pardons, saying they would not feel safe under the current authorities.