Serbia's populists claim a sweeping victory in the country's parliamentary election

Serbia’s governing populists have claimed a sweeping victory in the country's parliamentary election on Sunday.

Acting Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that with half the ballots counted, the Serbian Progressive Party's projections showed that the governing party won 47% percent of the vote and expected to hold around 130 seats in the 250-member assembly.

The main opposition Serbia Against Violence group won around 23%, Brnabic said.

The main contest in the parliamentary and local elections was between President Aleksandar Vucic’s governing Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, and the centrist coalition that sought to undermine the populists who have ruled the troubled Balkan state since 2012.

The Serbia Against Violence opposition coalition was expected to mount its biggest challenge for the city council in Belgrade, with analysts saying an opposition victory in the capital would seriously dent Vucic’s hardline rule in the country.

Vucic, however, said his party was also leading in the vote in the capital, though he added that post-election coalition negotiations would determine who governs in Belgrade.

“This is an absolute victory which makes me extremely happy,” a jubilant Vucic said at his party's headquarters in Belgrade.

“We know what we have achieved in the previous period and how tough a period lies ahead.”

Turnout one hour before the polls closed was around 55%, about the same as during the last election in 2022 when Vucic scored a sweeping victory. First official results are expected on Monday.

However, irregularities were reported by election monitors and independent media during the vote on Sunday.

One report said a monitoring team was attacked and their car was bashed with baseball bats in a town in northern Serbia.

Observers from the independent Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability expressed “the highest concern” over cases of the organised transfer of illegal voters from other countries to Belgrade, the group said in a statement.

“The concentration of buses, minivans and cars was observed on several spots in Belgrade, transferring voters to polling stations across the city to vote,” the group said.

CRTA also reported cases of voters being given money to vote for the governing party and the presence of unauthorized people at polling stations.

Authorities disputed that there was any wrongdoing. Brnabic, the premier, called the accusations “lies that are intended to spread panic.”

Several right-wing groups, including pro-Russia parties and Socialists allied with Vucic, ran candidates for parliament and local councils in around 60 cities and towns as well as regional authorities in the northern Vojvodina province.

The election didn't include the presidency, but governing authorities backed by dominant pro-government media ran the campaign as a referendum on Vucic.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...