Serbian President Aleksandër Vuçiç dissolved parliament and called an early election for October 25, nearly two years after the tragedy in Novi Sad sparked nationwide, student-led protests.
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Addressing the nation, Vuçiç said the early election was necessary because of political tensions and divisions, stressing that any delay in holding the vote would threaten the survival of democracy.
“We need election results that will clearly determine and show where Serbia is headed,” he said.
The election also comes at a critical moment for Serbia’s relations with the EU. Brussels’ recent criticism of the glorification of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladiç has added to longstanding concerns over democratic backsliding, the rule of law and Belgrade’s refusal to align with EU sanctions against Russia.
“I still believe today that Serbia has chosen the right European path, while preserving its traditional friendships, national pride and dignity,” Vuçiç added.
The ruling conservative Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) decided to run under the banner of “United Serbia,” naming Vuçiç as its candidate for prime minister.
Under Serbia’s Constitution, Vuçiç must resign as president before becoming prime minister, something he has repeatedly said he plans to do this month.
When he resigns, National Assembly Speaker and former Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, also from the SNS, will become interim president and will have to call a presidential election within three months. Serbia could therefore face a second national vote soon after the October parliamentary election.
The SNS’s biggest challenger will be the Students’ List, formed by the movement behind nearly two years of mass protests following the Novi Sad tragedy. The list has not yet been officially presented, and its candidates remain unknown.
Almost all pro-European opposition parties have expressed support for the students, although only some have said they intend to contest the election. Most right-wing parties are expected to run independently.
The vote is expected to be the most competitive since Vuçiç and the SNS came to power in 2012, with polls showing the ruling party and the student movement as the country’s two strongest political forces.
