Aleksandar Vučić
A dominant political figure who reshaped Serbia's post-Milošević landscape, steering it toward nationalist populism and closer ties with both the EU and Russia.
Born 1970 (age 56)·President of Serbia since 2017·Birthday: March 5·Generation X
Biography
Aleksandar Vučić's political journey is a study in transformation. He began as a fiery nationalist in the Serbian Radical Party during the turbulent 1990s, serving as Minister of Information under Slobodan Milošević. In a pivotal shift, he broke away in 2008 to co-found the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), rebranding himself as a pro-European reformer dedicated to EU accession. His rise was methodical: first as a powerful deputy prime minister, then as prime minister in 2014, where he implemented austerity measures and courted foreign investment. Elected president in 2017, his tenure has been defined by a tight grip on media and institutions, with the SNS consolidating power. While officially pursuing EU membership, he has deepened economic and political bonds with China and Russia, navigating a complex geopolitical balancing act that defines modern Serbia.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Aleksandar was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aleksandar Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Aleksandar's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded and led the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) to become the country's dominant political force.
- Served as Prime Minister from 2014 to 2017, overseeing negotiations for Serbia's EU candidacy and attracting significant foreign direct investment.
- Elected President of Serbia in 2017 and re-elected in 2022, consolidating executive authority.
- Presided over a period of relative economic growth and infrastructure development, though accompanied by concerns over democratic backsliding.
Did You Know?
He holds a law degree from the University of Belgrade.
In his youth, he was a promising basketball player.
He speaks English and Russian.
As Minister of Information in the late 1990s, he oversaw a controversial media law that critics said stifled press freedom.
“I am not a man of the past. I am a man of the future.”
