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Citizens of Serbia decide on new parliament
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is considered the favorite. photo
© Darko Vojinovic/AP
President Vucic’s Progressive Party is the clear favorite in the Serbian parliamentary elections. But the capital Belgrade could go to the opposition.
According to the latest opinion polls, she is likely to get just over 40 percent of the vote. Together with its long-standing coalition partner, the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) led by Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, it is likely to remain the dominant force in the country.
Vucic dissolved parliament less than two years after the last election. The president, who has been determining the country’s politics in various roles since 2012, repeatedly uses early elections to ensure the loyalty of his officials and supporters. This early election was triggered primarily by two mass shootings in May that left 18 dead, as well as conflicts in Kosovo, which has been independent since 2008. Serbia continues to claim its former province, which is now almost exclusively inhabited by Albanians, as its own.
The May shootings sparked a massive protest movement against the Vucic government. She accused the government and its media of fomenting a climate of hatred and glorification of violence. As a result, the liberal opposition joined forces to form the electoral alliance “Serbia Against Violence”. She hopes to capture the capital Belgrade in local elections that take place at the same time.
Polling stations close at 8 p.m. The first results are expected late on Sunday evening.