In a decisive victory, President Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have triumphed in Serbia’s latest parliamentary election. Pollsters Ipsos and CeSID have projected that the SNS garnered 46.2% of the votes, comfortably outpacing the opposition center-left Serbia Against Violence (SPN) alliance, which secured 23.2%. Vučić, expressing his elation, hailed the result as an „absolute victory.”
The Socialist Party of Serbia, led by outgoing foreign minister Ivica Dačić, is poised to secure third place with 6.7% of the vote. This election marks the fifth parliamentary contest since 2012, coinciding with local elections across numerous municipalities, including Belgrade and the northern province of Vojvodina.
In the significant battle for Belgrade, with its 1.4 million electorate making up about a quarter of Serbia’s voting population, the SNS is leading with 38.6% of votes for city council and mayor. The SPN trails closely with 35%. The mayoral position in Belgrade is notably influential in Serbian politics.
However, the election process has been marred by irregularities. CeSID and IPSOS reported organized voter arrivals at polling stations, ballot photographing, and procedural errors. The SPN has leveled accusations of election fraud against the SNS and plans to lodge complaints with the state election commission. Miroslav Aleksić, a leader of the SPN, condemned the election as a „serious attempt to steal elections.”
The election saw 18 parties and alliances vying for the support of Serbia’s 6.5 million-strong electorate, contesting 250 parliamentary seats. Preliminary counts suggest the SNS will command a slim majority with at least 127 deputies, potentially seeking coalition partners to solidify its parliamentary dominance.
This election comes amid a backdrop of civil unrest, triggered by two mass shootings in May and exacerbated by soaring inflation rates, hitting 8% in November. The opposition and rights groups have accused Vučić and the SNS of voter bribery, media suppression, violence against opponents, corruption, and links with organized crime, charges the ruling party vehemently denies.
In another concerning development, the state Election Commission reported attacks on election monitors from the CRTA watchdog in northern Serbia, leading to one arrest.
Post-election, the new parliament must convene within two weeks of the final results’ announcement, with a 60-day window to form a government. Serbia, an EU candidate, faces the challenge of normalizing relations with Kosovo, its former province, rooting out corruption, liberalizing the economy, and aligning its foreign policy with the EU, including sanctioning Russia, a traditional ally. This election, therefore, is pivotal not only for Serbia’s internal political landscape but also for its path towards European integration.
