Serbia’s president dissolves parliament and calls early election

Aleksandar Vučić is widely seen as having called the election to try to buy time to cement his authority. Photograph: Dimitrije Goll/Serbian Presidency/EPA

Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, has dissolved parliament and called early parliamentary and municipal elections for 17 December, less than two years after his Serbian Progressive party (SNS) won the last ballot.

“We live in times that are difficult for the whole world, in times of global challenges, wars and conflicts when it is necessary that we are all united in preserving vital national and state interests of Republic of Serbia,” Vučić said on Wednesday.