Belgrade—With war raging in Europe, Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic has promised the electorate continued stability ahead of nationwide elections this Sunday, in a contest that has largely been overshadowed by Ukraine.
After a decade in power, the ruling centre-right Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) led by Vucic looks likely to extend their rule over the country, according to recent polls.
The country of some 7 million will elect the president, deputies for the 250-seat parliament along with contests in several municipalities.
The Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, however, has cast a long pall over the vote that observers had earlier predicted would focus on issues like environment, corruption, and rights.
Vucic has deftly used the invasion of Ukraine to his advantage—by stoking fear of potential bouts of instability while offering assurances that he alone can prevent the country from falling into any such crisis.