Serbias presidential and parliamentary elections begin

Serbia’s presidential and parliamentary elections begin

Presidential and parliamentary elections started at 7 am in Serbia. Local elections are also taking place in Belgrade and 13 other municipalities at the same time. According to all opinion polls, current president Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which has been in power since 2012, are looking forward to another electoral victory.

Eight candidates are running for president, with Vucic, who is seeking a second term, leading by a clear margin. 19 parties and alliances are fighting for 250 seats in parliament. However, only a few of them are likely to cross the three percent barrier.

The main opposition forces that boycotted the last parliamentary elections in June 2020 are participating this time, although national election observers say electoral conditions have not significantly improved.

The vote will be followed by more than 5,000 election observers, most of them local. The OSCE is on site with 265 observers.

According to the latest information from the electoral commission, about 6.5 million citizens of Serbia are entitled to vote. Polling stations will remain open until 8 pm. The first unofficial election results are expected around 10pm.