Aleksandar Vučić, written in Serbian Cyrillic as Александар Вучић and pronounced , was born on 5 March 1970. He is a Serbian politician who has held the position of Serbia's president since 2017. A member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Vučić previously served as the president of SNS from 2012 to 2023. He also held the roles of first deputy prime minister from 2012 to 2014 and prime minister of Serbia from 2014 to 2017. Moreover, Vučić had roles as a member of the Serbian parliament, Minister of Information from 1998 to 2000, and later as Minister of Defence from 2012 to 2013. He secured the presidency in April 2017 with over 55% of the vote in the first round, eliminating the need for a runoff. Vučić officially assumed office on 31 May 2017, succeeding Tomislav Nikolić, and his ceremonial inauguration took place on 23 June 2017. During his tenure as Minister of Information under the Slobodan Milošević administration, Vučić implemented restrictive measures against journalists, particularly during the Kosovo War. Following the Bulldozer Revolution, he emerged as a prominent opposition figure. Over time, Vučić transitioned from his original far-right and hard Eurosceptic platform to embrace pro-European, conservative, and populist political stances after establishing the new party in 2008. The SNS-led coalition's victory in the 2012 election marked the party's first entry into government, ushering in a dominant-party system. Upon assuming the role of Prime Minister in 2014, Vučić pledged to continue the European Union (EU) accession process by privatizing state businesses and liberalizing the economy. In December 2015, the EU initiated the accession conference with Serbia, led by Vučić, opening the first chapters. He played a significant role in EU-mediated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, advocating the implementation of the Brussels Agreement to normalize relations. In September 2020, after United States-mediated negotiations, Vučić signed an agreement to normalize economic relations with Kosovo and relocate the Serbian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. He is also a key initiator of Open Balkan (formerly known as Mini Schengen Zone), an economic zone among Balkan countries aimed at ensuring "four freedoms." Some observers have characterized Vučić's leadership as authoritarian, autocratic, or indicative of an illiberal democratic regime, citing restricted press freedom.

Aleksandar Vučić - Wikipedia