Vucic: Parliamentary elections to be held in Serbia in October or November, presidential a little later

Photo: Tanjug/Amir Hamzagic

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday that parliamentary elections will be called in September or early October, and held in October or November, while presidential elections will be held "a little later".

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"It's to be expected that elections will be held either in October or in November and that would mean that they will be called either in September or at the beginning of October. So, we don't have the exact date yet, but I think everyone has known this for some time," Vucic told a press conference he held together with visiting Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis - when asked by a Czech journalist whether he plans to call elections and when they are expected to take place.

Vucic explained that he cannot call an election himself, instead that the Government must first inform the Serbian National Assembly, after which he can act.

"I said last year that elections would be held by the end of 2026, and I keep my word. It's up to the people to express their free will," said Vucic.

"Strategic dialogue with US important for Serbia, there are things that are not simple"

Vucic also noted that Serbia has just started a strategic dialogue with the United States, stressing that this is an important matter for our people and our country, but at the same time pointed out that there are also things that are not simple and easy.

Asked how important cooperation in the field of nuclear energy is and whether this partnership can bring concrete, important projects regarding the energy future of Serbia, bearing in mind that for the first time relations between Serbia and the US have been raised to the level of a strategic partnership, Vucic remarked that Serbia has just started a strategic dialogue with the United States.

"And that topic is very complex, it was given attention only symbolically, few people went into the essence, and few wanted to delve deeper and find out what it really entails. There are also things that are not simple, not easy, there are things that must be debated in our society, but this is an important change in the desire of the United States to treat Serbia in a different way," said Vucic.

He added that "we are grateful for that and ready to talk, and as a small but free and independent country, we conduct such a dialogue in line with the interests of the Republic of Serbia and respecting the strength of America and its position in the world."

"I want united and normal Serbia in which families will not be targeted"

The president of Serbia also said that he wants "a united and normal Serbia where families will not be the subject or target of any political actor."

Asked how he views the current atmosphere and "where Serbia is going with the rhetoric, 'your children are not your children' and 'your parents are not your parents'," - and that a handful of such statements come from former prosecutor Jasmine Paunovic, who is second on the student electoral list - Vucic said that he does not speak about internal matters in front of friends and guests from abroad or does so very rarely.

"I don't know what I would say to the people whose only agenda is to attack other people's families. I am proud of my elderly parents and all three of my children, Danilo, Milica, and Vukan, so whatever they (political opponents) do and say, that will not change. I won't be creating divisions within families in Serbia, or withing the society in Serbia. I want a united Serbia, I want a normal Serbia where families will not be the subject or target of any political actor, and that is the difference between us and them," said Vucic.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)