Serbia’s Ruling Party Has Strong Lead as Opposition Struggles

(Bloomberg) -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's ruling party maintained a significant lead as opposition groups that boycotted a 2020 ballot prepare to challenge his grip on power, according to a poll taken two months ahead of early elections.

Vucic's Progressive Party is backed by 55.6% of voters, according to a survey conducted by the Faktor Plus pollster last week. An opposition alliance led by former Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas and a one-time foreign minister, Vuk Jeremic, registered 13.3% support among the 1,100 respondents in the phone survey, which had 3% margin of error.

Serbia's opposition forces are struggling to boost coordination to make the April 3 ballot, an early parliamentary election as well as a vote for Vucic's office as his term expired, a challenge to the Serbian leader's dominance. Opposition parties boycotted the 2020 election over accusations that Vucic held sway over state-owned and some private media.

Vucic's party won that contest in a landslide. Opposition figures opted to run this year after European Parliament lawmakers mediated between rival factions to ensure broad participation in the former Yugoslav republic of 7 million. The election date hasn't yet been officially announced.

Serbia's Socialists under Ivica Dacic, the parliament speaker, would garner 9.2% support, according to the poll, which also forecast turnout at 51%. A newly formed alliance of environmental activists may take 7.5% of votes, while a handful of right-wing and conservative groups may also cross the 3% threshold of votes to enter the parliament, the poll showed.