Hungary

Budapest, September 28, 2026. The resignation of Aleksandar Vučić, announced on Sunday, September 27, in Belgrade, is being covered by the Hungarian press from a specific angle: less that of a departure than that of an institutional repositioning. Index, HVG, 444, and Telex all report that the Serbian president has stepped down to run as the head of the list of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and its allies, under the banner "Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia", in the early legislative elections on October 25, with the stated goal of becoming Prime Minister again.

According to HVG and 444, Vučić justified his resignation by citing the fairness of the electoral competition: "As a simple man, as a member of the people, I want to compete", he said, adding that he could have stayed in office during the campaign but considered it "more honest" to leave first. He signed his resignation letter in public and is set to hand over presidential duties on Monday morning to Ana Brnabić, the Speaker of the Parliament, who will serve as interim president for a maximum of ninety days, according to 444.

The Hungarian press extensively relays the assessment Vučić made of his term: unprecedented GDP growth, half a million additional jobs since 2012, and 686 kilometers of highways and expressways built in thirteen years, figures cited by HVG and 444. He set as priorities peace, stability, national interests, and the protection of Serbs in Kosovo, while also stating that Serbia must continue its European integration "without breaking" its ties with its "traditional Eastern partners" – a phrase reported by Index, HVG, and Telex.

Telex recalls the context of protests: since the collapse of the Novi Sad train station canopy, which killed sixteen people in 2024, anti-Vučić demonstrations have continued, with protesters denouncing widespread corruption. The media outlet also notes that Vučić had announced as early as June his intention to resign "in a few weeks". The Serbian Constitution limiting the number of presidential terms to two, his second term would have expired in 2027 anyway.

The Hungarian account reports little judgment of its own on Vučić: it restates his words, including his accusations against an opposition that "refuses dialogue" while spreading falsehoods about him, according to him.