EARLY PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN SERBIA

Abstract

he article is devoted to the early elections held in Serbia on December 17, 2023 – parlia- mentary, metropolitan and partly local. The main motive for their early holding: the desire to confirm the legitimacy of power after mass protests of the opposition, also to demonstrate its political impo- tence, and simultaneously buy time on the foreign policy stage to reduce pressure from Washington and Brussels. The outcome of the election was another victory for President A. Vučič and ruling Ser- bian Progressive Party. She was not a mystery to observers or participants beforehand. You could only argue about the account. But in the capital, the opposition had good chances, and this was con- firmed. The voting results were considered and an assessment was given of the opposition demon- strations after the elections, as well as the degree and nature of involvement in these events of Brus- sels and Washington. The reasons for the persistent invincibility of the ruling «progressives», the partial strengthening of the pro-Western «democratic» opposition and the unexpected success of the new populist movement «We are a voice from the people» have been revealed. The logic of political behavior and the relationship between foreign and political balancing of the President of Serbia were analyzed. It was concluded that A. Vučič mainly achieved his goals and retained such a struc- ture of power that provides him with a central role in Serbian politics, as well as free hands in fur- ther orientation in the international arena. It will not be unambiguous and straightforward in any case. But his room for maneuver has narrowed, and the direction of drift will be determined by the balance of power in the confrontation between West and East.

Keywords

• early parliamentary elections
• elections in the capital
• serbia
• a. vučič
• b. nestorovic
• russia
• eu
• usa.