Alexander Vucic closed the election campaign of the list "Alexander Vucic - United Serbia" with a rally in Nis, which was held on "King Milan" square. Chants of "Ratko Mladic", "Kosovo is Serbia" and "Victory" were heard among those present, Nova reported. Men wearing T-shirts and hats with the image of Ratko Mladic were seen near the stage.
Serbian media reported that supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party had arrived in an organized manner from different parts of the country. The event caused serious traffic congestion in the center of Nis, and hundreds of buses were parked on main boulevards and near the train station. The Associated Press described the rally as Vucic's last major event before the early parliamentary vote.
In his speech, Vucic said he expected a convincing victory and presented a plan for the development of southern Serbia. He promised to attract 20 large factories to five southern districts, higher subsidies for agriculture and the food industry, as well as investments in tourism, roads, sewage and water supply.
The candidate for prime minister also reiterated his position on Kosovo. "Kosovo is not a region, Kosovo is Serbia and it will remain that way," Vučić said, adding that Serbia will continue to protect Serbs in Kosovo and Republika Srpska.
Vučić: Serbia will not participate in a war with Russia
In an interview with Prva TV, Vučić focused on relations between Europe and Russia. According to him, Europe is preparing for a future state of war with the Russian Federation, and Serbia is becoming a "pebble in the shoe" because of its independent foreign policy.
"I do not want Serbia to be part of this war and I will not allow Serbia to become part of it," Vučić said.This is his latest election message, in which he defends Belgrade's refusal to join the sanctions against Moscow and emphasizes the country's military neutrality. The claim that Europe is preparing for a future war with Russia is an assessment by Vučić, not a confirmed plan by the European Union.
Elections are on October 25
The early parliamentary elections will be held on October 25. Vučić resigned as president on September 27 to head the ruling party's election list and run for prime minister. After the resignation, Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić has been acting as head of state.
The ruling party's main rival is the "Student List - Students Win", led by Novi Sad doctor Ilija Srdanović. He said the coalition had provided observers at all polling stations and was ready to defend the election results in case of possible violations. The Associated Press described the race between the two parties as contested, amid nearly two years of student protests in Serbia.
Sources: apnews.com, nova.rs, alo.rs