Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will not take part in parliamentary and local elections on December 17, but the vote is nonetheless a referendum of sorts for his government amid rising inflation and months of protests, AFP reported.
After more than a decade in power, Vucic's right-wing populist Serbian Progressive Party (SPP) looks set to continue in power, according to opinion polls, despite tough municipal elections in the capital Belgrade.
Serbian citizens are affected by price increases, with inflation reaching approximately 12%.
"The situation in the country is not ideal. I know that your life is difficult, that you have problems," Vucic told supporters at a campaign rally last week.
To blunt the sharp blows of inflation before the election, the Serbian president unleashed a flood of government spending - raising pensions and handing out money to the elderly.
The policy appears to be paying off, with SPP predicted to receive at least 40% of the vote, paving the way to victory for Vucic and his allies.
The head of state's party faces the strongest competition from a broad coalition of opposition parties and candidates running under the banner of "Serbia Against Violence".
The movement was created after a series of mass shootings earlier this year that prompted hundreds of thousands to take to the streets. The rallies quickly turned into anti-government protests that lasted for months.
According to Vladimir Pejic from the sociological institute Faktor Plus, before the vote, more voters were undecided than in the past.
"For the first time after a series of election cycles, we have another bigger political force than SPP - Serbia against violence," said Pejic./BGNES
