BELGRADE: Serbia went to the polls Sunday in Europe's first national election since emerging from coronavirus lockdown, although few expect major surprises with the ruling party poised to dominate a scattered opposition, some of whom are boycotting the ballot.

In power since 2012, the centre-right Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is led by the country's powerful president, Aleksandar Vucic, who critics accuse of budding authoritarianism. The 50-year-old is not running for parliament himself but has fronted the campaign as head of his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) with the slogan: "Aleksandar Vucic - For Our Children".

The party is tipped to garner more than 50 percent of the vote, according to recent polls, thanks to a splintered opposition and the government's apparent successes in fighting the coronavirus outbreak.

While a slate of small opposition parties are in the race, the main camp is boycotting the election to decry democratic backsliding under Vucic.

Some 6.5 million people, including the diaspora, are eligible to vote, with initial results expected a few hours after polls close at 1800 GMT.

Yet despite their stay-at-home campaign, turnout halfway through the day was only marginally behind 2016 election figures at nearly 23 percent. "Boycotting is not productive when the country is adrift," said Jelena Djikanovic, a 39-year-old casting her ballot in Belgrade.

Vucic, who was previously prime minister twice, is riding a fresh wave of popularity for keeping Serbia's coronavirus situation under control, with some 260 deaths in a country of seven million.