Serbia to hold 2023 parliamentary elections today

Serbia will hold early parliamentary elections today.

These elections will be a test for incumbent president Alexander Vucic, whose Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) leads a coalition government. The SNS has won successive elections since 2012, largely due to the tactical timing of early elections leaving opposition parties unprepared. However, SNS faces a more unified opposition in the form of Serbia Against Violence, a grouping created in response to two mass shootings earlier this year.

Opinion polling has SNS with a steady lead, making it likely that the party will form government again. However, the opposition is also aiming for other goals, such as winning Belgrade’s mayorship. The election will also be a referendum on Serbia’s foreign policy, with Vucic taking a largely pro-Russian stance on the war in Ukraine while also seeking to maintain ties with the West, with the ultimate goal of EU accession. The size of SNS’s likely victory will thus affect his negotiating position. If the opposition is particularly successful, they could potentially force him to make concessions regarding the recognition of Kosovo and meeting the EU accession criteria.