This success extends a decade of influence on the country of the Balkans of the representative of the Serbian party of progress (right center) which has depicted by guarant of stability in the shadow of the war in Ukraine.
Le Monde with AFP
The lifted fist, the head of the Serbian outgoing State Aleksandar Vucic claimed, Sunday, April 3, an overwhelming victory to the presidential election. “There was no suspense at any time,” he launched in his victory speech, welcoming himself for winning a second five-year term in the first round with about 60% of the voices.
“I am pleased that many people have voted and demonstrated the democratic nature of Serbian society,” continued the one who was successively Assistant Prime Minister and Prime Minister before accessing the Presidency.
Voters were called upon to designate their head of state, their 250 deputies as well as several municipal councils, including that of Belgrade, the capital.
Aleksandar Vucic, 52, said that his Serb party of progress (SNS, right center) had won nearly 44% of the votes to the legislative. “We are about to train a government to us alone but with the party of the Hungarian minority we have more than enough votes to form a majority,” he added.
The dominance of the coalition in power should, however, be less hegemonic than in the outgoing Parliament. Official results should not be published before Monday night.
“Peace and Stability”
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia at the end of February has changed the course of the campaign that should have focused on the environment, corruption and rights in this country of the Balkans of seven million people candidate. The European Union.
But Aleksandar Vucic, accustomed to playing rival influences from East and West, seized war on his advantage. In a country undergoing the coronavirus pandemic, it is the only one capable of blocking the vessel in stormy time. It has campaigned under the slogan “Peace. Stability. Vucic”.
“The influence of the Ukrainian crisis on elections has been huge,” said the president. “Serbia has leaned dramatically to the right” with the entrance to the Parliament of small Prorusses nationalist parties, he raised.
The government captured carefully to manage the crisis in Ukraine officially condemning Russia at the United Nations, while abstaining from any sanction against Moscow, while many Serbs support the war of the Kremlin. Some opposition parties share these Prorusses views. The others did not dare to pronounce a fear of displease pro-Moscow voters.
NGOs have reported incidents and violence during the poll, while opponents denounced voter intimidation attempts through the SNS in polling stations. PAVLE GRBOVIC, leader of an opposition party of the left center, claimed to have been attacked by SNS activists trying to film fraud in Belgrade. Aleksandar Vucic denied any irregularity.
Kosovo Serbs, the former southern province ever recognized by Belgrade, are climbed aboard 40 coaches to participate in the nearby Serbian elections, Pristina who refused to organize electoral operations on his soil.
Opposition breakthrough
Just a few months ago, the opposition seemed to have managed a breakthrough in the country of less than seven million. In January, Aleksandar Vucic canceled a controversial lithium mine project that had mobilized tens of thousands of protesters, rarely seen during its decade in orders.
The opposition has ensured a breakthrough to the municipal Belgrade without official results are available. “We lit the light,” reacted the main rival of Aleksandar Vucic, the general retired Zdravko Ponos. “That’s why so many people went to vote, they were not scared. We will not ruin that”.
Aleksandar Vucic went to the reinforced ballot. During his long reign, he tightened his hold on all levels of power, including a facto control of institutions and almost all the media. It enjoys a vast election base consisting of officials and their loved ones, according to analysts. In the months preceding the campaign, the President also distributed financial aid, and to tell his critics he was looking for “buying” voices.