Serbian prime minister Aleksandar Vucic and his Progressive Party are poised to retain power after parliamentary elections that were also expected to mark a revival of ultra-nationalist, pro-Russian groups in the Balkan state.
Early projections gave the conservative Progressives 56 per cent of votes, followed by their current coalition partner the Socialists on 10.9 per cent.
Officials said the first results were expected late on Sunday night, and that turnout had been about 55 per cent.
Mr Vucic called the election two years early in what he described as a bid to secure a strong mandate to push through reforms needed to revitalise Serbia's moribund economy and accelerate its push for accession to the European Union.
"We will continue our European path, fully respecting our ties with traditional allies in the East, such as China and Russia," Mr Vucic said after voting in Belgrade.
He has sought to strike a balance between Brussels and Moscow amid a resurgence for his former party, the Serbian Radical Party.
The Radicals were boosted this month when the UN court at The Hague’s acquitted their leader, Vojislav Seselj, of war crimes.
The Radicals are expected to return to parliament after a four-year absence and could form a common front there with the Dveri party.
Dveri is also expected to cross the 5per cent threshold, and which also favours an alliance with Russia.
Coalition willing
After voting, Mr Seselj said the Radicals were willing to “go into coalition with those parties who want to give up European Union accession to start integration with Russia.”
Serbia’s centre-left support is fractured among several parties that faced a battle to enter parliament, including the Democratic Party; ex-premier Boris Tadic’s Social Democrats; and the pro-business, anti-corruption Enough Is Enough group.
“I can’t vote for Vucic’s party. I saw how they were in the 1990s and how they claim to have changed, and it just seems like total hypocrisy,” said Katerina, a Belgrade schoolteacher, referring to Mr Vucic’s past as a far-right firebrand.
“The Democrats and Tadic are also discredited. So maybe I’ll vote for Borko Stefanovic [leader of the Serbian Left] or Sasa Radulovic [leader of Enough Is Enough],” Katerina said.
"We have lots of problems in Serbia. Unfortunately, many of my pupils see their future abroad, and lots of my former students have already left the country."
Serbia is under pressure to step up privatisation of state firms and slash the number of state employees, as part of a €1.2 billion financing deal with the International Monetary Fund.
At the same time, Serbians will hope for a drop in unemployment, now at 18 per cent, and a boost to wages that average only about €350 a month.
“I make €400 and it’s very hard to pay for rent, food, bills and medicine. Prices go up but salaries don’t,” said Marija, a music tutor.
A Belgrade businessman, Nenad, said he would vote for the Progressives.
“Vucic is the best qualified, the most competent, and he has a plan. I believe in him.”
