Serbia

To counter a second coronavirus wave, President Aleksandar Vucic announced a new lockdown. Protesters reacted with fury at his inconsistency, amid wider anger over his strongman leadership.

After the Election Commission ordered a repeat vote at 234 polling stations on July 1, delaying the final result, opposition parties said they suspected it was part of a plan to push up the turnout and so make the election look more legitimate.

Aleksandar Vucic’s party romped home in Serbia’s general elections on Sunday, winning about two-thirds of the votes, early results show – although opposition parties boycotting the polls said less than half the electorate turned out.

[…] Most of the main opposition parties will boycott the vote because of what they say is Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's iron grip on the country's media and the electoral process, as well as potential coronavirus infection hazards at voting stations.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has called a general election for April 26, which most opposition parties are expected to boycott over corruption and complaints of a lack of democratic freedoms in the Balkan nation.

Serbian, Kosovo and NATO leaders on Monday welcomed the signing of an agreement to reopen the air link between Pristina and Belgrade that was broken 21 years ago. US diplomats oversaw the signing of the agreement in Berlin, which will mean flights being operated by Lufthansa’s budget carrier, Eurowings.

Dozens of journalists and media-freedom activists assembled outside the Serbian government headquarters on October 16 to demand that intimidation, threats, and violence end toward members of their profession.

Officials say Serbia will sign a free trade agreement with a Russian-led economic group, which could hamper the Balkan country's efforts to join the European Union.