Serbs went to the polls this Sunday in elections in which the populist president aleksandar vucic sought to be re-elected with the promise of guaranteeing stability, under the shadow of war in ukraine.
The vote, disturbed by some incidents as reported by NGOs and the opposition, was called to elect 250 deputies and municipal councils as well as president.
At night the election commission He estimated that participation would have reached 60%, that is, 10 points higher than that of the 2020 legislative elections. The first unofficial results were expected by the end of the night.
According to the latest polls, the center-right SNS party of the head of state must confirm his control of Parliament, and the president is emerging as the favorite for a second term in this country traditionally close to Russia.
“Personally, I see stable progress and I have voted according to this opinion,” he told AFP. Milovan Krstic52 years old, employed in an administration.
The invasion launched by Russia on Ukraine At the end of February, he altered the course of the electoral campaign that, according to analysts, was going to focus on the environment, corruption and rights.
But Vucic, accused of authoritarianism by his rivals, took advantage of the instability caused by the war, presenting himself as the only one capable of steering the country through the storm.
Halfway through the campaign, the outgoing president invented a new slogan: “Peace. Stability. Vucic.”
“Huge Victory”
“We expect a huge victory,” he said as he put his ballot in the ballot box. “The most important thing is to preserve peace, stability and guarantee great economic progress.”
In a country once considered a pariah, memories of the wars that led to the bloody disintegration of Yugoslavia and the economic sanctions that hit the middle class are still vivid.
People prefer a leader who promises stability rather than risk change, Zoran Stojiljkovic, a professor of political science in Belgrade, told AFP.
“The great crises, at least in the short term, always favor those who are already in power. They generate uncertainty, fear and the hope that the system will guarantee at least basic security,” he adds.
Just a few months ago, the opposition seemed to have made a breakthrough in that country of fewer than seven million people.
In January, Vucic scrapped a controversial lithium mine project that sparked protests by tens of thousands of people.
It was a surprising step back in a man little given to rectify after a decade in power as deputy prime minister, prime minister or president.
The opposition hopes that a high turnout will trigger a second round.
According to opinion polls, Vucic’s main rival is the retired general Zdravko Ponosa surprise candidate from the pro-European opposition.
Pro-Russians
“I hope that this vote will be synonymous with serious change in Serbia,” Ponos said after voting. “I believe in a bright future, and the elections are a good way to change the situation.”
But analysts do not expect major changes from the outgoing Parliament, almost entirely controlled by the pro-Vucic coalition.
In Serbia, many people support the kremlin war, including some opposition parties. And those who do not support her dare not say so for fear of alienating pro-Moscow voters.
In addition, Vucic has other weapons. During his mandate, he has narrowed his influence at all levels of power and de facto controls the institutions and almost all the media.
In the pre-campaign, the president distributed numerous aids and his critics accused him of buying votes.