Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić urged people to maintain peace amid heavy clashes in Kosovo. Earlier, Serb protesters blocked roads and unknown gunmen exchanged fire with police over the weekend amid rising ethnic tensions in the country’s restive north.

Serbian President calls for peace in Kosovo amid protest

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has been hospitalised with "cardiovascular problems", his office said Saturday.

"The President Aleksandar Vucic was accepted in the military hospital in Belgrade on November 15 late afternoon," his office said in a short statement.

It gave no further details about the president's health or current condition.

It was first time it has been officially disclosed that Vucic, 49, has heart problems.

Contacted by AFP, his media advisor was not immediately available for comment.&nbsp;

Vucic, an ultra-nationalist turned pro-European, was elected president in 2017, but has been a powerful figure in the country's politics since 2012 when his Serbian Progressive Party won elections.

He was prime minister from 2014 to 2017.

According to the Serbian constitution, the post of president is largely ceremonial, but Vucic is a key decision maker for most issues in the country.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has been hospitalised with "cardiovascular problems", his office said Saturday. "The President Aleksandar Vucic was accepted in the military hospital in Belgrade on November 15 late afternoon," his office said in a short statement.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has been hospitalised with "cardiovascular problems", his office said Saturday. "The President Aleksandar Vucic was accepted in the military hospital in Belgrade on November 15 late afternoon," his office said in a short statement. It gave no further details about the president's health or current condition. It was first time it has been officially disclosed that Vucic, 49, has heart problems. Contacted by AFP, his media advisor was not immediately available for comment. Vucic, an ultra-nationalist turned pro-European, was elected president in 2017, but has been a powerful figure in the country's politics since 2012 when his Serbian Progressive Party won elections. He was prime minister from 2014 to 2017. According to the Serbian constitution, the post of president is largely ceremonial, but Vucic is a key decision maker for most issues in the country.

Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic hospitalised

Protesters decry Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's autocratic rule

Serbians protested against President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party in downtown Belgrade on Saturday.

Thousands of people chanted "Vucic thief" as they marched peacefully through the city centre in the fourth such protest in as many weeks. They demanded media freedoms, an end to attacks on journalists and opposition politicians.

Backers of the Alliance for Serbia, an opposition grouping of 30 parties and organisations, say Vucic is an autocrat and his party is corrupt, something its leaders vehemently deny.

In an interview with the pro-government Studio B TV during the protest, Vucic said he was ready to discuss the opposition demands.&nbsp;

"I am ready to look at what causes dissent of the people," he said, after being jeered by a group of protesters as he entered the television station building.

Vucic earlier suggested he was willing to test his party`s popularity in a snap vote, although Vuk Jeremic, a former foreign minister and the head of the small People`s Party, part of the alliance, said the opposition would boycott any election.&nbsp;

"There will be no legitimate elections in Serbia with the participation of the opposition until after normal conditions for elections and living are created," Jeremic said.

According to a poll by the Belgrade-based CESID election watchdog in October, Vucic`s SNS enjoys the backing of 53.3 per cent of electorate while other parties are trailing far behind.&nbsp;

If the opposition ran as an alliance, rather than individual parties, they could count on around 15 per cent of the vote. Their joint participation in a vote has yet to be agreed and so far they are only united in their animosity to Vucic and his party.

The SNS-led ruling coalition has a comfortable majority of 160 deputies in the 250-seat parliament. The next national election is due in 2020.&nbsp;

Major opposition protests have been relatively rare in Serbia since the popular unrest that ousted former strongman Slobodan Milosevic in 2000.&nbsp;

Most of current opposition leaders served in successive pro-Western coalitions that led Serbia between 2000 and 2012 when SNS forged a coalition with Milosevic's Socialists and came to power.

A nationalist firebrand during the violent collapse of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Vucic later embraced pro-European values and set Serbia`s membership in the European Union as the country`s strategic goal. He also maintains close ties with Russia and China.

Serbians protested against President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party in downtown Belgrade on Saturday. Thousands of people chanted "Vucic thief" as they marched peacefully through the city centre in the fourth such protest in as many weeks.

Serbians protested against President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party in downtown Belgrade on Saturday. Thousands of people chanted "Vucic thief" as they marched peacefully through the city centre in the fourth such protest in as many weeks. They demanded media freedoms, an end to attacks on journalists and opposition politicians. Backers of the Alliance for Serbia, an opposition grouping of 30 parties and organisations, say Vucic is an autocrat and his party is corrupt, something its leaders vehemently deny. In an interview with the pro-government Studio B TV during the protest, Vucic said he was ready to discuss the opposition demands. "I am ready to look at what causes dissent of the people," he said, after being jeered by a group of protesters as he entered the television station building. Vucic earlier suggested he was willing to test his party`s popularity in a snap vote, although Vuk Jeremic, a former foreign minister and the head of the small People`s Party, part of the alliance, said the opposition would boycott any election. "There will be no legitimate elections in Serbia with the participation of the opposition until after normal conditions for elections and living are created," Jeremic said. According to a poll by the Belgrade-based CESID election watchdog in October, Vucic`s SNS enjoys the backing of 53.3 per cent of electorate while other parties are trailing far behind. If the opposition ran as an alliance, rather than individual parties, they could count on around 15 per cent of the vote. Their joint participation in a vote has yet to be agreed and so far they are only united in their animosity to Vucic and his party. The SNS-led ruling coalition has a comfortable majority of 160 deputies in the 250-seat parliament. The next national election is due in 2020. Major opposition protests have been relatively rare in Serbia since the popular unrest that ousted former strongman Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. Most of current opposition leaders served in successive pro-Western coalitions that led Serbia between 2000 and 2012 when SNS forged a coalition with Milosevic's Socialists and came to power. A nationalist firebrand during the violent collapse of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Vucic later embraced pro-European values and set Serbia`s membership in the European Union as the country`s strategic goal. He also maintains close ties with Russia and China.

Thousands protest against Serbian president

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Serbian President calls for peace in Kosovo amid protest

Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic hospitalised

Protesters decry Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's autocratic rule

Thousands protest against Serbian president