Serbia has its first openly gay president

Serbia has had Ana Brnabić as interim president of the Republic since this week, following the resignation of Aleksandar Vučić, who left office on September 27 to prepare his candidacy for prime minister in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Brnabić, who until then was the president of the National Assembly, assumed the functions of head of state in accordance with Serbian legislation.

Brnabić, 50, is an openly lesbian politician and had previously served as Serbia's prime minister from 2017 to 2024. Her temporary arrival at the presidency marks an unprecedented event in the Balkans, as she becomes the first openly homosexual person to hold the head of state position in a country in the region.

Her mandate will be provisional. Serbian legislation states that, following the resignation of the president, the president of the National Assembly assumes their functions for a maximum period of three months. During this time, the election of a new president must be organized.

Vučić's departure occurred seven months before the end of his second term. The president could not run for a third presidential term and announced his resignation while Serbia prepares for early parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25. Vučić seeks to continue exerting political influence from the position of prime minister and lead the list of his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

Brnabić is also a figure closely linked to Vučić. Before becoming president of the National Assembly, she was prime minister for seven years and subsequently continued to hold top positions within the ruling party.

The Constitution states that the Serbian president primarily fulfills the functions of head of state, while the government and the prime minister concentrate much of the executive powers. For this reason, Vučić's resignation is directly related to his intention to compete for the position of prime minister in the upcoming elections.

The presidential change also occurs in a context of strong political mobilization. Serbia has been experiencing a wave of protests initially driven by students following the collapse of a railway canopy in Novi Sad that left 16 dead.

While Brnabić temporarily serves as president, Serbia must first hold the parliamentary elections on October 25 and then elect the new head of state. The presidential election must take place within the timeframe established by legislation following Vučić's resignation.