A Tale of Contested Victories: Local Elections in Serbia
Contestation over City Vote Results in Serbia: Incumbent Faction and Challengers Both Announce Triumph - Serbian local elections results in dispute: Each side insists on their victory
The quaint town of Kosjeric witnessed a heated election battle between the ruling camp and the opposition, with both sides claiming triumph. The opposition coalition, Civic List Together for Kosjeric, managed to secure 49.3% of the votes—quite a victory, one might think. But, President Aleksandar Vucic of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) begs to differ. He proclaimed, "We won because the people chose the state, because the people said: 'You are not destroying Serbia,'" insinuating that the opposition was out to undermine the nation.
In an interesting turn of events, however, Slavica Pantovic, the leading candidate from the opposition coalition, declared victory shortly after the polls closed. Emotions ran high as she exclaimed, "The victory has begun. May all of Serbia celebrate," even though the official results were yet to be announced. Her statement followed Vucic's claims of an SNS victory in the town.
It seems the electoral process wasn't as smooth sailing as one might hope, considering allegations of fraud and irregularities. Rasa Nedeljkov of the opposition-linked organization Crta, which had 500 election observers, reported "irregularities" in 86% of polling stations in Zajecar and 55% in Kosjeric. Needless to say, the election day was charged with tension as supporters of both SNS and the opposition clashed in Kosjeric, with police interventions to maintain order.
This local election in Serbia takes on national significance amidst the ongoing protest wave in Belgrade, sparked by the devastating railway station accident in Novi Sad last November, which claimed 16 lives. The protests, initially about the cause of the accident, quickly shifted focus to the government and the rampant corruption plaguing the country. With calls for fresh elections echoing through the streets, President Vucic labels these protests as externally directed.
- Serbia
- Local Elections
- Aleksandar Vucic
- Civic List Together for Kosjeric
- Student Protests
- Belgrade
- Corruption
- SNS
[1] Widespread protests in Belgrade, Serbia: Understanding the cause and implications. (2024). Accuracy First Media.[2] Local elections in Serbia: Electoral irregularities and opposition allegations of fraud. (2025). The Balkan Observer.[3] Fraud allegations undermine Serbia’s local election results. (2025). BBC News.
- The local elections in Serbia, particularly in Kosjeric, sparked controversy as both the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) led by President Aleksandar Vucic and the opposition Civic List Together for Kosjeric each claimed victory, despite allegations of electoral irregularities and fraud.
- The ongoing student protests in Belgrade, fueled by the rampant corruption in the country, coincide with the local elections, adding a national significance to the electoral process as calls for fresh elections intensify amidst accusations of electoral interference and conflict of interests.
