No suspense anytimehe launched his victory speech, congratulating himself on winning a second five-year term in the first round with approximately 60% of the vote.

I am happy that many people voted and showed the democratic character of Serbian societycontinued Mr. Vucic, who successively served as Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister before becoming President.

Voters were called to appoint their head of state, their 250 representatives as well as several municipal councils, including in Belgrade, the capital.

Aleksandar Vucic, 52, said his Serbian Progress Party (SNS, center-right) won nearly 44% of the vote in the legislative elections. We are going to form our own government, but with the Hungarian Minority Party, we have more than enough votes to form a majority.He added.

However, the dominance of the ruling coalition should be less hegemonic than that of the outgoing Parliament.

Official results are not expected to be released until Monday night.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February changed the course of the campaign, which should have focused on the environment, corruption and rights in the Balkan country of the seven million resident candidates for the European Union.

However, Aleksandar Vucic, used to playing rival influences from East and West, took the war to his advantage. In a country that, like elsewhere, is suffering from a coronavirus pandemic, he has presented himself as the only one capable of steering the ship in stormy weather. He campaigned under the slogan Peace. Stability. Vucic.

The influence of the crisis in Ukraine on the elections is enormousrecognized the president. Serbia leaned hard to the right on the entry into Parliament of small pro-Russian nationalist parties, he said.

NGOs reported incidents and violence during the ballot period, while opponents denounced SNS’s attempts to intimidate voters at polling stations.

Pavle Grbovic, leader of a middle left opposition party, claimed he was attacked by SNS activists while trying to film the fraud in Belgrade.

Aleksandar Vucic denied any irregularities.

Serbs from Kosovo, the former southern province never recognized by Belgrade, boarded 40 buses to take part in elections in neighboring Serbia, Pristina has refused to organize electoral operations on its soil.

Just a few months ago, the opposition seemed to have made a breakthrough in this country of less than seven million inhabitants.

In January, Aleksandar Vucic canceled a controversial lithium mine project that mobilized thousands of protesters, a reversal rarely seen in his decade in leadership.

The opposition has ensured that it has made a breakthrough in the municipal elections in Belgrade with no official result available.

We turned on the lightreacted to Aleksandar Vucic’s main rival, retired general Zdravko Ponos. That’s why so many people voted, they weren’t scared. We will not destroy it.

The government acted carefully to manage the crisis in Ukraine by formally condemning RussiaUnited NationsUN while avoiding any sanctions against Moscow because many Serbs support the Kremlin war.

Some opposition parties share pro-Russian views. Others did not dare to speak out for fear that pro-Moscow voters would not be satisfied.

Aleksandar Vucic went on the ballot armed with other advantages. During the long period of his reign, he tightened his grip on all levels of power, including control really institutions and almost all media. He enjoys a large electoral base made up of civil servants and their relatives, according to analysts.

In the months before the campaign, the president also provided financial assistance, so his critics said he was seeking Buy voices.