In Serbian Politics, Current Problems Hail From the Past

MIN READApr 11, 2016 | 09:30 GMT

In Serbia's upcoming parliamentary elections, the country will continue to balance its Western ambitions against longstanding ties with Russia.

(ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/GettyImages)

Serbia will hold parliamentary elections April 24, but they will do little to change the country's domestic and foreign policy. According to opinion polls, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party will be re-elected, an outcome of which Vucic is fairly confident. In fact, parliamentary elections were not due until 2018, but Vucic called for early elections to consolidate his party's position in parliament. Opinion polls also show that nationalist parties will perform relatively well, which is a reminder of Serbia's complex political landscape. Regardless, the next government in Belgrade will have to operate within Serbia's traditional geopolitical constraints....