sentences:  The protesters charge that Vučić and the SNS are corrupt and that Vučić is trying to cement himself as an autocrat, which he denies.In 2019, Freedom House report that Serbia's status declined from "Free" to "Partly Free" due to deterioration in the conduct of elections, continued attempts by the government and allied media outlets to undermine independent journalists through legal harassment and smear campaigns, and Vučić's accumulation of executive powers that conflict with his constitutional role.After his election as Prime Minister in 2014, Vučić promoted austerity-based economic policies, whose aim was to reduce Serbia's budget deficit.