Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that the next parliamentary elections will be held either at the end of 2026 or in early 2027, during a panel at the GLOBSEC Forum in Prague, Tanjug reported on June 13.

“The elections will be either at the end of next year or at the beginning of 2027. That’s it. We had elections a year ago, and now we are preparing for Expo 2027,” Vucic was cited as saying, referring to Serbia’s focus on hosting the specialised expo in Belgrade.

His comments come amid student-led protests demanding extraordinary elections, with university blockades ongoing for over six months.

Speaking on a panel Vucic also addressed Serbia’s long-standing EU accession bid. He argued that EU enlargement remains a political rather than merit-based process. “People in Europe constantly talk about a merit-based approach. That was never the case,” he said.

Vucic reiterated that Serbia’s refusal to recognise Kosovo’s independence remains the central obstacle to EU membership. “We adhere to the UN Charter and Resolution 1244, which says that Kosovo is part of Serbia. Belgrade is not ready to recognise Kosovo’s independence,” he said. Twenty-two out of the 27 EU member states have recognised Kosovo, while five have not.

Resolution 1244, adopted in 1999, ended the conflict in Kosovo and established the Nato-led KFOR mission. Kosovo declared independence in 2008.

On the sidelines of the forum, Vucic also met with the EU special representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Peter Sorensen. He stressed Serbia’s commitment to dialogue and highlighted the importance of forming the long-delayed Association of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) as a foundation for progress.