Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has dissolved parliament and called a snap election for 25 October, as he seeks to extend his political influence by running for prime minister.
Vučić announced the decision on Wednesday, bringing forward a parliamentary election that had originally been expected next year.
He said the early vote had become necessary because of growing political tensions in the country.
“Were the elections necessary for us if there were no such tensions, if there were no such political conflicts, certainly they would not be necessary,” Vučić said in a televised statement.
He added that delaying the election “would threaten the survival of democracy”.
Vučić has faced sustained anti-corruption demonstrations for almost two years.
The protests began after the collapse of a railway station awning in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people.
The disaster fuelled public anger over alleged corruption and concerns about government accountability.
Vučić has served as either Serbia’s prime minister or president since 2014 and has remained the country’s dominant political figure throughout that period.
His ruling Serbian Progressive Party nominated him on Saturday to stand for prime minister in the upcoming parliamentary election.
It remains unclear whether Vučić will step down as president before or after the election.
While his years in power have coincided with a period of economic development, his government has also faced growing criticism over alleged corruption and authoritarianism.
Türkiye is set to receive Russian diesel under a U.S.-backed agreement, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Sunday, as Ankara pushes a...
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Tajikistan on Sunday for an official visit and a major regional summit, with security, trade and transport link...
The U.S. and five Central Asian nations have held high-level talks in Samarkand, focusing on trade, investment and regional security as Washington ...
What started out as planned protests against the cost of living, declining public services and education funding in France, quickly devolved into violent riots across the country on Saturday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for continuing to target Russia's energy infrastructure, while Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight killed at least one person and damaged a metro station.
The day after waiving sanctions and tariffs related to Russian exports, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he has yet to announce a final decision on the matter as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said officials want more time to evaluate the situation.
A Saudi AH-6i helicopter crashed in the Najran region of Saudi Arabia due to a technical malfunction, killing its two crew members, the Saudi-led coalition's spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki said in a statement on Sunday.
An oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said late Sunday.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Tajikistan on Sunday for an official visit and a major regional summit, with security, trade and transport links high on the agenda as Beijing strengthens its ties with Central Asia.
The U.S. and five Central Asian nations have held high-level talks in Samarkand, focusing on trade, investment and regional security as Washington seeks to strengthen its presence in the strategically important region.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for continuing to target Russia's energy infrastructure, while Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight killed at least one person and damaged a metro station.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has cut monthly food assistance to 500,000 people in Gaza amid severe funding shortages, with around two-thirds of the population facing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse.
Strong winds that fuelled a deadly grass fire are what killed four Canadian soldiers and sent 39 people to hospital at a military training area in Alberta, Canada, according to authorities. 19 people remain in critical condition. The winds caused the flames to spread rapidly.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment