Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and President of the Assembly of Serbia Vladimir Orlić announced on Wednesday early parliamentary elections to be held in 65 cities and municipalities, including Belgrade. The vote is scheduled for December 17, Euractiv reports.
This will be the 10th extraordinary parliamentary election since 1990. Since then, regular parliamentary elections have been held only three times: in 1997, 2012 and 2020.
Experts argue that the vote and the absence of a functioning parliament will allow Vučić to gain time and postpone decisions on ties with Kosovo, which Serbia still considers its southern province.
We are living in a time in which it is necessary for all of us to be united in the struggle for vital … interests of Serbia, in which we will be under numerous pressures, both because of our position on Kosovo, and because of other regional and global issues.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasised during a visit to Belgrade on Tuesday that both Serbia and Kosovo must mend relations if they want to join the EU.
Orlić urged citizens to participate in the elections so that Serbian society could demonstrate its “full democratic capacity.”
The election campaign will run until midnight on December 14. The government stated that holding new parliamentary elections would ensure “a higher degree of democracy and a reduction of tensions between opposing options in society.”
Experts argue that Vučić’s move is also aimed at strengthening his own ranks and reforming his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which has declined in popularity after months of opposition protests.
