Next Serbian parliamentary election

Next Serbian parliamentary election

←  2023 by 31 December 2027

All 250 seats in the National Assembly 126 seats needed for a majority

Parliamentary group Leader Current seats AV–SNSDS Miloš Vučević 113 SSP Marinika Tepić 16 NPS–NLS Miroslav Aleksić 14 SPS–Zeleni Ivica Dačić 13 NADA Miloš Jovanović 13 ZLF Radomir Lazović 10 SRCE Zdravko Ponoš 9 DS Zoran Lutovac 8 MI–GIN Branko Pavlović 6 MI–SN Branimir Nestorović 6 PUPS Milan Krkobabić 6 VMSZ Bálint Pásztor 6 SDPS Rasim Ljajić 6 JS Dragan Marković 5 EU Aleksandar Jovanović 5 PS–NSS–USS–RS Đorđe Komlenski 5 Independents 9 Incumbent Prime Minister Miloš Vučević SNS

Parliamentary elections will be held in Serbia by 31 December 2027 to elect members of the National Assembly.

The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) came to power in 2012 after forming a government with Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS). In the 2023 parliamentary election, SNS re-gained its parliamentary majority. Due to the allegations of electoral fraud, protests were held after the election, with its organisers calling for the annulment of the results. Miloš Vučević became the prime minister of Serbia in May 2024.

Background

A populist coalition, led by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), came to power after the 2012 election, along with the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS). ^{[1] [2]} Aleksandar Vučić, who initially served as deputy prime minister and later as prime minister, was elected president in 2017 and re-elected in 2022. ^{[3] [4]} Since he came to power, observers have assessed that Serbia has suffered from democratic backsliding into authoritarianism, followed by a decline in media freedom and civil liberties. ^{[5] [6]} The V-Dem Institute has categorised Serbia as an electoral autocracy since 2014, while Freedom House noted in 2024 that SNS "eroded political rights and civil liberties, put pressure on independent media, the opposition, and civil society organisations". ^{[7] [8] [9]}

On 17 December 2023, parliamentary elections were held in Serbia; it was a snap election. ^[10] The election resulted in a victory of the SNS-led Serbia Must Not Stop electoral alliance, winning a majority of seats in the National Assembly of Serbia. ^[11] The second place was obtained by Serbia Against Violence (SPN), a broad coalition of opposition parties, winning 65 seats in total. ^[11] The SPS electoral alliance, however, collapsed and only won 18 seats, its worst result since the 2007 parliamentary election. ^[11] Despite this, according to non-governmental and monitoring organisations, the election day was marked with electoral fraud, with irregularities such as the Bulgarian train and vote buying. ^{[12] [13]} The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights concluded this in its report that was published in February 2024. ^[14] Protests were held up to 30 December, with its organisers, including SPN, calling for the results to be annulled. ^{[15] [16]} Amidst the protests, a riot occurred after an unsuccessful attempt from opposition councillors trying to enter the building of the City Assembly of Belgrade. ^[17] After the elections, the European Parliament held a session in January 2024, discussing the 2023 elections in Serbia. ^[18] A month later, it adopted a resolution regarding the election. ^[19]

After several months of negotiations, SNS formed a new government on 2 May, with Miloš Vučević, who is also the president of SNS, as prime minister. ^[20]

Electoral system

The 250 members of the National Assembly are elected by closed-list proportional representation from a single nationwide constituency. ^{[21] [22]} Eligible voters vote for electoral lists, on which the candidates of the accepted lists are present. ^[22] A maximum of 250 candidates could be present on a single electoral list. ^[22] An electoral list could be submitted by a registered political party, a coalition of political parties, or a citizens' group. ^[22] To submit an electoral list, at least 10,000 valid signatures must be collected, though ethnic minority parties only need to collect 5,000 signatures to qualify on the ballot. ^{[22] [23]} At least 40 percent of candidates on electoral lists must be female. ^[24] The electoral list is submitted by its chosen representative or representatives. ^[25] An electoral list could be declined, after which those who had submitted can fix the deficiencies in a span of 48 hours, or rejected, if the person is not authorised to nominate candidates. ^[25] The name and date of the election, names of the electoral lists and its representatives, and information on how to vote are only present on the voting ballot. ^[25]

The Republic Electoral Commission (RIK), local election commissions, and polling boards oversee the election. ^[25] Seats are allocated using the d'Hondt method with an electoral threshold of 3 percent of all votes cast, although the threshold is waived for ethnic minority parties. ^{[21] [26]} The seats are distributed by dividing the total number of votes received by the electoral list participating in the distribution of seats by each number from one to 250. ^[25] If two or more electoral lists receive the same quotients on the basis of which the seat is distributed, the electoral list that received the greater number of votes has priority. ^[25] Parliamentary seats are awarded to candidates from electoral lists according to their order, starting with the first candidate from an electoral list. ^[22]

A parliamentary election is called by the president of Serbia, who also has to announce its date and dissolve the National Assembly in the process. ^{[22] [25]} According to law, the next parliamentary election is supposed to take place by 31 December 2027. ^[27] It is possible for a snap election to take place. ^[28] To vote, a person has to be a citizen and resident of Serbia and at least 18 years old. ^[27] For those who live abroad, they are able to vote at diplomatic missions. ^[21] At least five days before the election, citizens are notified about the election; citizens receive information about the day and time of the election and the address of the polling station where they can vote. ^[22] Election silence begins two days before the voting day, and it lasts until the closure of all polling stations. ^[29] During the election day, eligible voters could vote from 07:00 (UTC+01:00) to 20:00, though if the polling station is opened later than 07:00, voting is then extended by the amount of time for which the opening of the polling station was delayed. ^{[25] [30]} Voters who are not able to vote at polling stations due to being sick, old, or invalid have to inform their election commission before 11:00 so that they could vote on the election day from their home between after 11:00. ^[30]

Election date

By law, the next parliamentary election should take place by 31 December 2027. ^[27] The election could be scheduled earlier. ^[28] However, Vučić announced that the next parliamentary election will be held in 2027, together with the presidential election, thus it will be a general election. ^[31] Vučević echoed the same. ^[32] Dragomir Anđelković, a political analyst, has argued that the next parliamentary election will be only held after the completion of the Expo 2027 fair and the expansion of the Belgrade Waterfront project. ^[33]

Political parties

See also: List of political parties in Serbia

The table below lists political parties and coalitions elected to the National Assembly after the 2023 parliamentary election. ^[34] Final results were published on 3 January 2024. ^[35]

Name		Ideology	Political position	Leader(s)	2023 result
					Votes (%)	Seats
	Serbia Must Not Stop	Populism	Big tent	Miloš Vučević	48.07%	129 / 250
	Serbia Against Violence	Anti-corruption	Big tent	Marinika Tepić Miroslav Aleksić	24.32%	65 / 250
	SPS–JS–Zeleni	Populism	Big tent	Ivica Dačić	6.73%	18 / 250
	National Democratic Alternative	National conservatism	Right-wing	Miloš Jovanović	5.16%	13 / 250
	We – Voice from the People	Right-wing populism	Right-wing	Collective leadership	4.82%	13 / 250
	Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians	Minority politics		Bálint Pásztor	1.74%	6 / 250
	SPP–DSHV			Usame Zukorlić	0.78%	2 / 250
	SDA Sandžak			Sulejman Ugljanin	0.59%	2 / 250
	Political Battle of the Albanians Continues			Shaip Kamberi	0.36%	1 / 250
	RS–NKPJ			Slobodan Nikolić	0.31%	1 / 250
Source: Republic Bureau of Statistics [34]

Current composition

Further information: 14th National Assembly of Serbia

The fourteenth convocation of the National Assembly held its constitutive session on 6 February 2024, at which the 14th parliamentary composition was formalised. ^[36] Ana Brnabić of SNS was elected president of the National Assembly on 19 March, while Sandra Božić (SNS), Marina Raguš (SNS), Snežana Paunović (SPS), Elvira Kovács (Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, VMSZ), Edin Đerlek (Justice and Reconciliation Party, SPP), and Jovan Janjić (We – Voice from the People, MI–GIN) were elected vice-presidents. ^[37]

Current parliamentary composition ^[38]

Groups		Parties		MPs
				Seats	Total
	Aleksandar Vučić – Serbia Must Not Stop		SNS	105	113
			ZS	3
			SNP	2
			SPO	2
			SSD	1
	Party of Freedom and Justice		SSP	15	16
			USS Sloga	1
	People's Movement of Serbia – New Face of Serbia		NPS	12	14
			NLS	2
	Ivica Dačić – Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS)		SPS	12	13
			Zeleni	1
	New DSS – POKS (NADA)		NDSS	7	13
			POKS	6
	Green–Left Front – Do not let Belgrade drown		ZLF	10	10
	Serbia Centre – SRCE		SRCE	9	9
	Democratic Party – DS		DS	8	8
	We – Voice from the People		MI–GIN	6	6
	We – Power of the People prof dr Branimir Nestorović		MI–SN	6	6
	PUPS – Solidarity and Justice		PUPS	6	6
	Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians		VMSZ/SVM	6	6
	Social Democratic Party of Serbia		SDPS	6	6
	Dragan Marković Palma – United Serbia		JS	5	5
	Ecological Uprising		EU	5	5
	PS – NSS – USS – RS		PS	2	5
			NSS	1
			USS	1
			RS	1
	MPs not members of parliamentary groups		PSG	3	9
			SDAS	2
			SPP	2
			PVD/PDD	1
			Ind.	1

Pre-election activities

Government parties

Following the 2023 elections, Vučević announced that the idea of the People's Movement for the State (NPZD) would continue to be discussed for the next parliamentary election. ^[39] Despite being announced in March 2023, the date of the formation of NPZD has not been officialised yet. ^{[39] [40]} In June 2024, Radoslav Milojičić, the president of the Serbian Left, switched his affiliation to SNS. ^[41]

Opposition parties

A rift between the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP) and Movement of Free Citizens (PSG) occurred in the National Assembly in March 2024. ^[42] All three PSG MPs decided to leave the SSP–PSG parliamentary group and to continue as MPs without a parliamentary group. ^[42] SSP continued on its own. ^[43] A month later, SPN ceased to exist due to a dispute between its parties on whether to boycott the 2024 Belgrade City Assembly election. ^[44] SSP, Serbia Centre, and Together opted to boycott the election, while the rest of SPN parties took part under the We Choose Belgrade banner. ^[45]

The We – Voice from the People also suffered a split in 2024, with Branimir Nestorović and his allies forming the We – Power of the People. ^[46]

References

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36. "Skupština Srbije konstituisana uz zvižduke, opozicija položila zakletvu u holu" [The National Assembly of Serbia was constituted with whistles, the opposition took the oath in the hall]. Radio Free Europe (in Serbian). 6 February 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
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39. "Vučević: SNS će na izbore u koaliciji, Pokret za narod i državu razvijaće se" [Vučević: The SNS will go to the elections in a coalition, the Movement for the People and the State will continue to develop]. Tanjug (in Serbian). 6 March 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
40. "Vučić: Došlo vreme za osnivanje velikog pokreta za narod i državu" [Vučić: The time has come to establish a great movement for the people and the state]. Tanjug (in Serbian). 13 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
41. "Čudo se dogodilo! Kena zvanično postao član SNS, a pre 4 godine zvao Đilasa u crkvu da pred Bogom provere ko je Vučićev" [A miracle happened! Kena officially became a member of SNS, and 4 years ago he called Đilas to church to check before God who was Vučić's pawn]. NOVA portal (in Serbian). 12 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
42. "U poslaničkoj grupi sa SSP više nisu Pavle Grbović i još dvoje poslanika PSG" [Pavle Grbović and two other PSG deputies are no longer in the parliamentary group with the SSP]. N1 (in Serbian). 10 April 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
43. "Stranka slobode i pravde formira svoju poslaničku grupu bez PSG" [The Party of Freedom and Justice forms its parliamentary group without the PSG]. NIN (in Serbian). 10 April 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
44. Ranković, Rade (22 April 2024). "Raspad koalicije "Srbija protiv nasilja", deo opozicije izlazi na izbore na listi "Biram borbu!"" [The collapse of the "Serbia Against Violence" coalition, part of the opposition is going to the elections on the list "I Choose Struggle!"]. Voice of America (in Serbian). Retrieved 22 June 2024.
45. Cvetković, Ljudmila (3 June 2024). "Ko izlazi na beogradske izbore?" [Who is participating in the Belgrade elections?]. Radio Free Europe (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
46. Stevanović, L. (27 March 2024). "Pokret Branimira Nestorovića od danas je "Mi snaga naroda"" [Branimir Nestorović's movement is from today "We Power of the People"]. Danas (in Serbian). Retrieved 23 June 2024.

External links

• Republic Electoral Commission