Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said parliamentary elections are likely to be held on October 18 or 25, as preparations intensify for an early vote that could be followed by presidential elections.
“Judging by how things stand, the parliamentary elections will be on October 18 or 25,” Vučić told Radio Television of Serbia, adding that the exact date would be known within days.
Vučić has previously said that presidential elections could follow the parliamentary vote, potentially at the end of December, in January or in early February 2027.
The Serbian president has also repeatedly discussed the possibility of resigning from the presidency and potentially becoming the prime ministerial candidate of the ruling coalition’s “United Serbia” list.
Commenting on the decision by the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) to run independently, Vučić said every political party has the right to participate in elections.
He also addressed criticism over the number of Serbian citizenships granted in recent years and claims that naturalizations could influence the election result.
According to Vučić, 4,168 citizenships were registered this year, compared with around 29,000 in 2022. He claimed that between 2000 and 2012, more than 713,000 citizenships were registered, while around 292,000 were registered after 2012.
Vučić argued that only around 80,000 of those who obtained citizenship after 2012 are eligible to vote, describing the figure as relatively small and emphasizing that the relevant rules were established by law.
“Democratic elections are of crucial importance to us. We have no problem with whom the people will give their trust to,” Vučić said.
He also defended the introduction of new voting booths at polling stations, following criticism over the postponement of their implementation. Vučić said the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) had repeatedly criticized Serbia for not having such booths, arguing that their introduction would strengthen voter privacy and ballot secrecy.
He rejected claims that the new measures could be used to manipulate the elections.
Vučić said the political list he ultimately joins will campaign to win a majority of votes, but acknowledged that a parliamentary majority requires at least 126 seats in the 250-member National Assembly.
The announcement of a possible October election date comes amid growing political pressure on the Serbian government and continued speculation over the timing and format of the country’s next parliamentary and presidential contests.
