President Aleksandar Vučić was once again reelected in the first round because of results in reviving economy, infrastructure and employement, second because he has resisted preasures to surrender the Province of Kosovo and Metohija to Albanian separatists, and third, because there were no any serious countercandidates. The West, being preocupied with Ucraine, preferred to stay aside hopping that during the new terme in the office Vučić may deliver what they expect him to do, than to obstruct his predictable victory. It has been quite clear that USA want Serbia to abandon strategic friendship with Russia and China, to join NATO, recognize independence of the criminal creature of “Kosova Reepublic” and distancing from Republic of Serbska, Bisna and Herzegovina. I personally doubt very much these expectations to be realistic.
The new parliament after these elections will be rather different from previous ones. First, the rulling SNS party, together with several small partis on the same list, for the first time in 10 has years, won less than a half +1of the parliament seats (120 out of 250) and therefore is obliged to seek coalition in order to form the new government. Second, Socialist party (SPS) which has been in coalition with SNS so far, has grown to 11,50% (32 seats) but became third strongest parliamanterian party instead of the second so far. Third, srveral parties and coalitions have enterred the patrliament for the first time. Earliar some of them had been boycoting elections, some had run but failed. Coalition “United for victory of Serbia” led by former Belgrade mayor and businessman Dragan Djilas, became the second strongest parliamentarian groupe. Therefore, new parliament will have rather numerrous opposition and this will be the new feature of the political life in Serbia. Fouth, most of the newcomers to the parliament. belong to the rightwing orientation including monarchists (12 seats). And, fifth, it is the first time in the history of Serbian parlamentarism that the Green party called “We must” has enterred the parliament (12 seats). It has gained public support for opposing devastating consequences to the environment (water, land, air) caused by multinational companies’ uncontrolled operations, Rio Tinto being the most disturbing.
After the first preliminary results have been published, President Vučić declared that the new government will be faced with important chalanges,that European way, improving foreign investments, military neutrality and cooperation with traditional partners – will be continued.
How this policy will be conctetisized and transmeted to practice will be clearer after formation of the coalition government. President Vučić who still is ptesidrnt of the SNS party, has not indicated which of the other parties may be called to be part of the new coalition givernment. According to the costitution, new government has to be constithted within 90 days from the day officual electon results are unounced.
Živadin Jovanović
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