Serbia may have to hold new elections if political parties fail to form a coalition government following December's inconclusive parliamentary ballot, speaker Dragan Marsicanin said on Tuesday.
Marsicanin, holding his first talks with party leaders since he was elected speaker of the 250-seat assembly last week, said positions remained far apart but he would try to bridge the differences. He has the power to propose a new prime minister.
"We are getting close to a final solution and at the end of this week or early next week we will be able to say if it is possible to secure a majority in parliament or if we have to call elections," he told reporters.
Serbia has had four elections in 18 months, including three bids to choose a president that were invalidated by low turnout.
Analysts say a new poll might produce another moral victory for hard-liners whose voters seem immune to the general apathy.