Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić resigned on September 27 and will instead head the Serbian Progressive Party's list in parliamentary elections set for October 25, a move that would make him prime minister if the party wins. Barred from seeking a third presidential term when his mandate ends in 2027, he is widely seen as trying to keep his hold on power, which rests largely on his party's informal patronage network. The vote is less predictable than past contests, as a student-led list born of protests after the 2024 Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse (which killed 16 people) is challenging him; parliament speaker Ana Brnabić becomes acting president, and a presidential election must follow by December 26.