Pro-European Union Party in Serbia Wins Election in Landslide

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/26/world/europe/pro-european-union-partyin-serbia-wins-election-in-landslide.html

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BELGRADE, Serbia — An official vote tally confirmed on Monday that the pro-European Union party that governs Serbia won a landslide victory in the country’s general election.

The results, presented by the state electoral commission, also showed that pro-Russian nationalists will return to Parliament.

With about 96 percent of ballots counted, the governing Progressive Party won 48 percent in Sunday’s vote, and its Socialist coalition partner received 11 percent. Two right-wing parties lagged far behind: the Radical Party with 8 percent and D.S.S.-Dveri with 5 percent.

Three pro-Western opposition parties — the Democrats, the Social Democrats and the new reformist party Dosta Je Bilo (It’s Enough) — were each hovering slightly above the 5 percent threshold needed to win seats in Parliament.

The results mean that Serbia will continue its membership bid for the European Union, but with strong pro-Russian opposition.