Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic has declared victory in snap parliamentary elections, claiming that his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is on track to secure an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
According to projections, the SNS is set to win almost 47% of the vote, while opposition parties under the Serbia Against Violence (SPN) banner are trailing behind with around 23%. However, the SPN has accused the government of electoral fraud and has called for a recount.
Initial results suggest that the SNS is likely to win more than half of the 250 seats in the National Assembly. President Vucic, who himself was not running for election, hailed the results as a confirmation of the absolute majority his party was seeking.
The opposition parties, which had hoped to regain control of Belgrade in Sunday’s local elections, expressed concerns about electoral fraud. They claimed that over 40,000 non-residents were brought to the capital to vote and demanded the annulment of the election results.
President Vucic’s party has been in power since 2012 and has faced three elections in the past three years. In addition to the parliamentary elections, Serbians were also voting for control of 65 local authorities.
The elections come after two mass shootings in May, which resulted in protests against President Vucic and the SNS party. The attacks, which led to the death of 19 people, including 10 at a school in Belgrade, ignited demonstrations against the ruling party and its allies in the media.
The projected results have left the mood at one of the parties in the Serbia Against Violence coalition uncertain. While the opposition parties expressed hope for a major swing in their favor, it became clear that they were not going to achieve the expected outcome.
Serbia is a candidate to become a member of the European Union, and President Vucic is under pressure from both the EU and the US to normalize relations with Kosovo. The country declared unilateral independence from Serbia in 2008 and is now recognized by over 100 UN members. However, Serbia, backed by allies such as Russia, China, and five EU members, has refused to do so.
Some 95,000 ethnic Serbs live in Kosovo, and those who wanted to vote had to cross into Serbia to cast their ballot. Serbia’s relationship with Kosovo remains a key issue for the country’s integration into the EU.
The SNS’s victory is likely to trigger further discussions and debates on the political and social landscape in Serbia, as President Vucic continues to face challenges both domestically and internationally.