Serbian president says early elections possible within 18 months
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Friday showed openness to holding early elections for the first time since a student movement launched powerful protests against the government six months ago.
"Parliamentary elections can take place within a year and a half if the relevant institutions take the necessary steps," Vučić told journalists on the sidelines of a European Political Community summit in the Albanian capital Tirana.
The current Serbian parliament is scheduled to remain in office until early 2028.
Students in Serbia have been protesting against the government for around six months following the collapse of a newly renovated railway station canopy in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad, which killed 16 people.
Protesters accuse the government of corruption and mismanagement of state institutions, which are largely under Vučić's control, and are demanding comprehensive reforms to establish democratic and constitutional conditions.
The protests have since been joined by large sections of the population and have featured university occupations and road blockades.
At the beginning of May, the student movement called for the first time for early elections, which would have to be scheduled by Vučić.
However, the president said in Tirana that no one had yet approached "the relevant institutions" with demands for new elections.
According to observers, the protest movement has changed the political landscape in Serbia, which was previously dominated by Vučić. The students are calling on the previously fragmented and divided opposition to form a united front against the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) party and its partners.
Experts believe a joint list with the support of the student movement would stand a good chance of winning the election.
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