Serbian polls in snap parliamentary elections

These elections, announced in the previous month, will not only decide the form of a fresh government for Serbia's 250-seat parliament but also appoint local councils in the majority of cities. 

It is widely anticipated that President Aleksandar Vucic's ruling right-wing Serbian Progressive Party (SPS) will maintain its control of parliament, based on the latest opinion polls which show the party leading by a significant margin. However, the SPS is facing tough competition in the towns in Belgrade, particularly from a alliance of opposition parties and candidates under the "Serbia Against Violence" banner. Although Vucic himself is not a candidate in these elections, they are widely seen as a test of his government and leadership. 

Vucic and his SPS party have faced significant challenges this year from antigovernment protests that attracted hundreds of thousands of participants and led to the creation of the "Serbia Against Violence" alliance, which opposes the ruling party. The demonstrations initially started in response to two consecutive mass shootings in May, causing in the deaths of 18 people, including nine children. However, they quickly spread into broader protests against the government, stoke up by anger over increasing inflation and perceived corruption. 

Despite the growing opposition, Vucic has consistently disregarded his critics and dismissed the protests as a foreign conspiracy, emphasizing that Serbia would be directionless without his leadership. He expressed these sentiments to his supporters at a recent gathering, stating, "This is not about me leaving power but about their desire to destroy everything. It would take us 20 years to fix everything. That is why we will defeat them more convincingly than ever." 

Vucic has been everywhere leading up to Sunday's election - his face on billboards and skyscrapers and constant coverage on news channels.

In order to soften the impact of rising prices before the vote, Vucic initiated a flurry of government spending - increasing pension payments and giving cash to the elderly.

The president has made promises to double the average monthly salary in the coming years, as well as increasing pensions.

Throughout his more than ten years in power, Vucic has worked to consolidate his control over the mechanisms of power, including having de facto control over the media.

Opposition parties and watchdog groups accuse Vucic and the SNS of bribery, censorship of the media, violence against opponents, corruption, and ties to organized crime. He and his allies deny these claims. 

The upcoming competition follows closely the previous series of elections for the presidency and parliament, in which Vucic and the SNS party consolidated their control over the government.

The future Serbian government will face numerous obstacles both domestically and internationally, particularly as it strives for European Union membership.

In its pursuit of EU membership, Serbia is facing pressure to establish normal relations with Kosovo, its former Albanian-majority province that declared independence in 2008, as well as implement sanctions on Russia. Additionally, Serbia is being urged to combat corruption and organized crime within its borders and to promote economic liberalization. 

According to Aljazeera.