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Serbia’s pro-Europe PM wins landslide re-election

Monday, 25 April 2016 7:42 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 25 April 2016 7:39 AM ]

Serbian Prime Minster Aleksandar Vucic gestures during a press conference at the Serbian Progressive Party headquarters in Belgrade, Serbia, April 24, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Serbia’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has swept to a resounding victory in parliamentary elections, in what is seen as an endorsement of his bid toward Serbian membership in the EU.

Preliminary results show Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party has garnered 49% of the votes cast in the Sunday elections, with the coalition government partner Movement of Socialists coming second with around 11.6%.

Far-right and nationalist Serbian Radical Party polled around 7.8%, becoming the third-biggest party in parliament.

An electoral commission member checks a list at a polling station in Belgrade, Serbia, April 24, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

“I think this is a historic result, to win more votes in absolute terms, to win in relative numbers, in percentages, more votes than two years ago when we launched very difficult reforms," Vucic said.

The premier said Serbia will continue its European journey and "will try to accelerate it."

"As I said, we will make no compromise there, just as we will zealously continue guarding our traditional friendship and ties with the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China and many other countries.”

A man casts his ballot at a polling station in Belgrade, Serbia, April 24, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj, for his part, expressed dissatisfaction with his party’s results in the polls.

Political analysts say the Serbian Progressive Party is likely to pick up between 137 and 156 seats in the 250-member parliament.

The exact number of the Progressives’ seats depends on how many other political parties exceed the five percent threshold needed to get into the assembly.

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