Serbian parliament dissolved: new elections on December 17th

The parliamentary elections will take place at the same time as local elections in 65 municipalities, including the capital Belgrade. The new elections are seen primarily in the context of the recent tensions with its southern neighbor Kosovo. Serbia does not yet recognize the independence of its former province.

• After protests: Serbian President Vucic announces new elections
• “We must now actually expect a new war in Kosovo” [OÖNplus]

The last elections were in April of the previous year

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed during a visit to Belgrade on Tuesday that both countries must step up the normalization of relations after the recent flare-up of violence if they want to join the EU. The move to early elections in Serbia is interpreted as meaning that Vucic can now set a new line by December 17th. On the one hand, he has to be considerate of Serbian nationalists, but on the other hand, he is accused of helping to inflame sentiment against Kosovo himself. “We live in a time when it is necessary for all of us to be united in the fight for Serbia’s vital (…) interests, in which we are under pressure both because of our position on Kosovo and other regional and global issues pressure,” Vucic said on Wednesday.

Serbian citizens were last asked to go to the polls in April of the previous year. The EU is urging the country to join Western sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, fight corruption and organized crime, reform the economy, improve the judiciary and business climate and the human rights situation in the country.

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