Serbia has been rocked by massive protests since the parliamentary and local elections on 17 December 2023. The opposition coalition Serbia Against Violence (SPN) claims that the election results were rigged in favor of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The SPN, led by Marinika Tepić and Miroslav Aleksić, has refused to recognize the official results that gave SNS a sweeping victory and a majority in the National Assembly. The SPN has also accused SNS of fraud and intimidation in the Belgrade city hall race, where SNS narrowly defeated SPN according to the projections.
The protests, which started on 18 December, have gathered tens of thousands of people in the capital and other cities, demanding a rerun of the elections and the resignation of President Aleksandar Vučić, who is widely seen as the de facto leader of SNS. The protesters have also expressed their dissatisfaction with the state of democracy, human rights, media freedom, and the rule of law in Serbia under Vučić's rule. The protests have been largely peaceful, but some clashes have occurred between the demonstrators and the police, who have used tear gas, water cannons, and batons to disperse the crowds.
The international community has expressed its concern over the situation in Serbia and called for dialogue and respect for democratic principles. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) have issued a preliminary report on the elections, stating that they were well organized, but that SNS had a systematic advantage and abused public resources. The report also noted that the electoral environment was marked by polarization, pressure, and intimidation, and that the media coverage was biased and lacked diversity.
The SPN has announced that it will continue its protests until its demands are met, and has called for a general strike and civil disobedience. The SNS, on the other hand, has dismissed the allegations of fraud and defended the legitimacy of the elections. Vučić has said that he is ready to talk to the opposition, but has also warned that he will not tolerate violence or attempts to destabilize the country. He has also suggested that he might call for early presidential elections in 2024, in which he is expected to run for a second term.
