Serbia - The SNS secures an absolute majority The SNS of Aleksander Vucic won an absolute majority in Sundays parliamentary elections. While opionion polls suggested that the SNS could get up to 45% of the vote on the day it did even better. It secured 48.2% according to preliminary results. Its junior partner in the outgoing government - the SPS/PUPS/JS coalition - held its ground (13.6%) while the opposition universally did badly. Both the DS and its recent splinter Nova DS - achieved fewer votes than the opinion polls had suggested while many parties expected to pass the 5% threshold (the DSS, LDP and URS) did not do so. This all translates into an extraordinary dominance of the SNS in the next parliament. It alone will have about 156 seats in the 250 chamber. The SPS and partners will have around 44 and the DS and NDS only 20 and 18 respectively. The ethnic minorities control 12 seats. This is the strongest showing by any party since Serbia changed to proportional respresentation. The SNS can choose its partners in the next government at will. The new government is likely to have the two-thirds majority in parliament necessary to change the Constitution. Vucic also now dominates the SNS as the SNS rules Serbia. The campaign was centred squarely on him and his ability to implement tough changes. This is potentially a blessing and a curse. Vucic can now implement painful economic reforms if he wishes to do so. However, power lying solely with one person can also have its drawbacks. Vucic and the SNS are extremely intolerant of criticism. There is a risk that this will lead to independent institutions in Serbia overseeing the government being weakened as has happened in Hungary under Orban.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 10:24:38 +0000
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