Miroslav Parovic

Right-wing Serbian nationalists have lined up to congratulate the far-right AfD in Germany, which secured 13 per cent of the vote in Sunday's general election and entered the Bundestag for the first time.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was re-elected for a fourth time - but her Christian Democrats, the CDU, scored their worst result since 1949.

Three Serbian right-wing organisations presented a joint conservative populist platform, claiming to represent a 'third way' between the current government and the opposition, although their appeal to voters remains unclear.

JASA TOMIC - Concluding his election campaign in his native village of Jasa Tomic, northeastern Serbia, presidential candidate Miroslav Parovic - the leader of the People's Freedom Movement - vowed to model Serbia after his parents' household.

Parovic said his parents had created all they had, and that they had taught him that one must fight and work hard every day.

Voters of Serbia are casting ballots in the presidential election on Sunday to choose a successor to their departing one-term President, Tomislav Nikolic.

Polling stations are open from 7 am to 8 pm CET (GMT+2), and the preliminary results are expected to be published by the State Election Commission, RIK, a few hours after polls close.

BELGRADE - Serbian PM and Serbian Progressive Party leader Aleksandar Vucic maintains a commanding lead ahead of the presidential elections and has great chances of a first-round victory with 53 percent support, the latest Ipsos Strategic Marketing survey shows.

SNS leader Aleksandar Vucic currently has 53 percent support and a big chance of winning in the first round of the April 2 election, according to a new Ipsos Strategic Marketing poll.

Luka Maksimovic, aka Ljubisa Beli Preletacevic, is now second with a rating of about 11 percent.

BELGRADE - The national election commission on Monday approved the candidacies of Cajetina Mayor Milan Stamatovic, People's Freedom Movement leader Miroslav Parovic and League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina leader Nenad Canak for the April 2 presidential elections in Serbia, ordering Predrag Vucetic - a candidate based in Krusevac - to rectify all faults within 48 hours.

The deadline for candidates to submit their applications to take part in Serbia's presidential elections has expired at midnight.

The Electoral Commission (RIK) received 12 candidatures, and to date confirmed seven.

In an interview with Serbian tabloid Kurir on Tuesday, President Tomislav Nikolic said there is no reason for the ruling Progressives not to support him as their candidate in the upcoming presidential election, which is expected to be held no later than April this year.