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Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic has stepped down in response to widespread protests triggered by a fatal railway station collapse in Novi Sad. He cited a desire to de-escalate tensions as his reason for resigning, following the November incident that killed fifteen people. The protests, fueled by demands for accountability and anger over corruption, have seen tens of thousands of citizens taking to the streets.
In a TV address late on Tuesday, President Aleksandar Vucic said he would decide within the next 10 days on whether to hold parliamentary elections or form a new government.
More than a dozen people have been charged in connection with the Novi Sad incident, including former Transport Minister Goran Vesic - who resigned days after it happened.
Students have taken the lead with the protests, halting traffic daily and blockading universities for months.
Last Friday, many Serbians stayed off work in response to a call for a general strike, while in December an estimated 100,000 people attended a demonstration in Belgrade. Many smaller protests have been held in towns and cities across the country.
Tensions rose on Monday when, during a 24-hour blockade of the busiest road junction in the capital, Belgrade, a female student was injured in clashes between the opposition and supporters of the governing party. That evening, President Vucic said he would pardon students and university tutors who faced charges in connection with the protests and announced a major government reshuffle, saying he expected more than half of ministers to be replaced.
In his Tuesday's address after an emergency meeting with the government, the president said he would sign pardons for 13 people on Wednesday. He insisted that he and the government had now met student protesters' demands for transparency about the reconstruction of Novi Sad railway station.
Opposition parties have been calling for a transitional government which they say could create the conditions for free and fair elections. But Vucic rejected those demands, saying Serbians "want normal people in power, not politicians who have no trust".
