Serbia - Vucic party wins election - opposition suspects fraud
The early parliamentary elections in Serbia have brought the expected victory for the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The right-wing nationalist list of President Aleksandar Vucic received 47 percent of the vote on Sunday, as the electoral commission announced on Monday after 95 percent of polling stations had been counted. According to election researchers, the SNS is likely to win between 127 and 128 seats in the 250-seat People's Assembly (Skupstina), giving it an absolute majority.
Vucic called the election just 17 months after the most recent parliamentary elections. Although the president decides almost everything in the country himself, he had become nervous: After two killing sprees in May, resulting in 18 deaths, a spontaneous protest movement had formed demanding an end to his rule. The result of the parliamentary election appears to have consolidated his position of power.
Doubts about the correctness of the election
The liberal opposition alliance "Serbia Against Violence", which was formed after the killing spree, was reportedly the second strongest force with 23 percent of the vote and 64 to 65 seats. Politicians from the alliance claimed around 450 violations of the election regulations. Especially in the capital Belgrade, where fiercely contested local elections were taking place at the same time, the SNS had committed massive fraud with the help of state agencies, they claimed on election night.
"According to our estimates, 40,000 identity cards were issued in Belgrade to people who do not live here," said opposition leader Miroslav Aleksic. The media reported that buses brought people from the Serbian part of Bosnia-Herzegovina to the Belgrade Arena, where they are said to have taken part in the election. The opposition announced a protest in front of Belgrade City Hall on Monday evening.
In the Belgrade City Assembly, which elects the mayor, a stalemate is emerging. Neither SNS as the relatively strongest force nor the opposition are likely to have a majority. The election research center CRTA declared on Monday that "the results do not reflect the will of the voters due to voter migration in Belgrade and other irregularities".
Critics see abuse of power
Formally, Vucic only has protocol powers as president. Nevertheless, he has determined the fate of the country in various functions since 2012. Critics accuse him of having an authoritarian style of government. According to these voices, he abuses the government apparatus, police and secret services in order to ruin political rivals economically and defame them in public. The tabloid media he controls stir up hatred and aggression against political rivals and critics. Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, who has been in office since 2017 and is looking forward to another term in office, is loyal to him.
Serbia has been negotiating EU accession since 2014. As the leadership under Vucic is not aiming for any real reforms, negotiations are progressing slowly. At the same time, the Serb is pursuing a seesaw policy between the West on the one hand and Russia and China on the other. After the Russian attack on Ukraine, Serbia was the only EU accession country not to join the West's sanctions against Russia.
Congratulations from Russia and Hungary
Moscow immediately congratulated the election winner. "We welcome such a success by Mr. Vucic," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban also congratulated Vucic, whom he regularly meets for talks, on the platform X, formerly Twitter. Although Hungary is a member of the EU, it has had to accept a partial freeze on the EU aid to which it is entitled due to corruption and a lack of rule of law.
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Source: www.stern.de
