Preliminary results: SNS reclaims parliamentary majority, situation in Belgrade uncertain [GRAPHS]

The Victor monument in Belgrade
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) improved its result compared to the previous parliamentary election, winning around 47% of the votes and 9 more seats. It is now expected to reclaim the parliamentary majority, with 129 out of 250 seats.

Opposition coalition “Serbia Against Violence” won around 23% of the vote and about 65 seats, according to the current projections. Though the results are seen as a disappointment by most members of the coalition, it is still an increase of 5% of the vote and 14 seats compared with the results of two lists composed mostly of the same parties, which entered parliament last year.

Arguably the biggest loser of the elections was the junior coalition partner of SNS, Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), which saw its vote share drop from 11,4% to 6,7% and its number of seats from 31 to 18. It is because of this poor showing of SPS that the previous ruling majority enters this parliament with a reduced number of seats (155 compared to 160).

Only two other majority lists entered the parliament – conservative NADA coalition, which lost 2 seats, and the biggest surprise of the election: list “WE – The Voice from the People” led by doctor Branimir Nestorović, which won close to 5% of the vote and 13 seats.

Nestorović, who became a prominent figure during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he downplayed the seriousness of the virus, has significant popularity on YouTube and other social media platforms, as do other figures on his list. Some of them, including Nestorović, are regarded as conspiracy theorists by their critics. They are not entering parliament as a political party, but a group of citizens.

The projection of seats was made by several pollsters, including CRTA.

In Belgrade, the results were closer. SNS has once again finished in the first place, with around 39%, while the “Serbia Against Violence” won 34% (last year, two mostly equivalent opposition lists won 31%). All lists which entered the National Assembly also entered the City Assembly.

Here, however, SNS and SPS seem to be short of a majority (56) by one seat. There is currently no certainty about who will form a majority in Belgrade, with Nestorović regarded as a kingmaker.