In Serbia, the outgoing president, Aleksandar Vucic, announces a landslide victory – Le Monde

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade on April 3, 2022, after claiming victory in the presidential election. DARKO VOJINOVIC / AP With his fist raised, the outgoing Serbian head of state, Aleksandar Vucic, claimed a landslide victory in the presidential election on Sunday April 3. “There was no suspense at any time,” he said in his victory speech, congratulating himself on having won a second five-year term in the first round, with around 60% of the vote. . “I am happy that a large number of people voted and demonstrated the democratic nature of Serbian society”, continued the man who was successively Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister before becoming President. Voters were called upon to appoint their head of state, their 250 deputies, as well as several municipal councils, including that of Belgrade, the capital. Aleksandar Vucic, 52, said his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS, centre-right) had won almost 44% of the vote in the legislative elections. “We are about to form a government on our own, but together with the Hungarian Minority Party we have more than enough votes to form a majority,” he added. Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers In the deserted countryside of Serbia, “nothing is expected from the elections” The domination of the ruling coalition should however be less hegemonic than in the outgoing Parliament. Official results are not expected to be released until Monday evening. ” Peace. Stability. Vucic’ Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February changed the course of the campaign, which should have focused on the environment, corruption and rights in the Balkan country of 7 million of inhabitants, a candidate for membership of the European Union. But Aleksandar Vucic, used to playing rival influences from East and West, seized the war to his advantage. In a country suffering as elsewhere from the Covid-19 pandemic, he presented himself as the only one capable of helming the ship in stormy weather. He campaigned under the slogan “Peace. Stability. Vucic”. “The influence of the Ukrainian crisis on the elections has been enormous,” acknowledged the president. “Serbia has leaned dramatically to the right”, with the entry into Parliament of small pro-Russian nationalist parties, he noted. The government has moved cautiously to manage the crisis in Ukraine, officially condemning Russia at the United Nations and refraining from any sanctions against Moscow, while many Serbs support the Kremlin war. Some opposition parties share these pro-Russian views. The others dared not speak out, for fear of displeasing voters favorable to Moscow. Read also Article reserved for our subscribers Serbia, the only country in Europe to massively support Putin’s Russia Non-governmental organizations reported incidents and violence during the ballot, while opponents denounced attempts to intimidate the voters by the SNS at polling stations. Pavle Grbovic, leader of a centre-left opposition party, claimed he was attacked by SNS activists while trying to film fraud in Belgrade. Aleksandar Vucic denied any irregularity. Serbs from Kosovo, the former southern province never recognized by Belgrade, boarded 40 buses to take part in the elections in neighboring Serbia, Pristina having refused to organize the electoral operations on its soil. Breakthrough of the opposition Only a few months ago, the opposition seemed to have made a breakthrough in the country. In January, Aleksandar Vucic canceled a controversial lithium mine project, which had mobilized tens of thousands of protesters, a reversal rarely seen during his decade at the helm. The opposition assured that it had achieved a breakthrough in the municipal elections in Belgrade, without official results being available. “We turned on the light,” reacted Aleksandar Vucic’s main rival, retired general Zdravko Ponos. That’s why so many people went to vote, they weren’t afraid. We’re not going to spoil this. Aleksandar Vucic went to the ballot armed with advantages. During his long reign, he tightened his grip on all levels of power, including de facto control of institutions and almost all of the media. He enjoys a large electoral base, made up of civil servants and their relatives, according to analysts. In the months leading up to the campaign, the president also handed out financial aid, making his critics say he was looking to “buy” votes. Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Serbia: as the April 3 election approaches, the outgoing president strengthened by the war in Ukraine Le Monde with AFP