Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Friday Oct. 13, called for early elections suggesting they will take place Dec. 17.
Vucic was expected to announce early elections, as his government has been under pressure from various sides, ranging from the EU and the US pressing for the country to join Western strategy regarding the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia to dissatisfaction at home over gun violence to potential escalation in violence in Kosovo.
Through the latter half of the summer the Serbian opposition consistently held mass demonstrations, and during his Friday announcement, Vucic noted that his government “heard their demands” and that now the opposition will “get their elections.”
He also noted that Serbia is facing a critical juncture in its history—and many in the EU would agree, with more critical observers stating that the country is moving away from the EU toward Russia.
Photo by Leon E. Panetta, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
