Serbian citizens vote in parliamentary elections on December 17 to elect members of the 250-seat National Assembly. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced the snap elections after the opposition parties sent a letter in September demanding them. This is the fourth time early general elections have been held in Serbia since 2012.
The ruling coalition led by Vucic's Progressive Party (SNS) stands behind the slogan "Serbia cannot stop," on one side, while on the other side, the traditionally fragmented pro-democracy opposition parties have decided to partially unite under the slogan "Serbia against violence."
The election comes after widespread anti-violence protests took place in May this year in response to two mass shootings that shook the country. Tens of thousands of people took part in the protests, seemingly seeking change, while protest organizers accused the ruling party of fueling a culture of violence. In addition, the Kosovo crisis also reached its peak earlier this year when 25 NATO-led peacekeepers got wounded in clashes with Serbs protesting over Albanian authorities taking control of municipality offices in the northern part of the disputed region.
All polling places in the country opened at 7 am CET and will close at 8 pm CET. In addition to parliamentary elections, local elections will be held in 65 municipalities, including the capital Belgrade.
