National Assembly of Serbia
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
In this year’s parliamentary election, citizens of Serbia will choose among 18 lists, one less than in 2022. Two additional lists were submitted, but were rejected by the Republic Electoral Commission.
In the last 20 years, the number of lists in Serbian elections has always been between 18 and 22. In order to win seats, a list needs to get at least 3% of the vote, with the exception of national minority parties.
Here is the complete list of candidates for the 2023 parliamentary election, in the order they appear on the ballot:
1. Aleksandar Vučić – Serbia Must Not Stop
The list was submitted by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and its smaller partners – Social Democratic Party of Serbia (SDPS), Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS), Healthy Serbia (ZS), Movement of the Socialists (PS) and Serbian People’s Party (SNP). It carries the name of the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić (who is not a candidate on the list). Vučić was also the president of SNS until May this year.
In last year’s parliamentary election, the list, which was mostly composed of the same parties, won 42.96% of the vote and 120 out of 250 MPs.
2. Ivica Dačić – Prime Minister of Serbia
The list was submitted by the junior coalition partners of SNS, Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), United Serbia (JS) and Serbian Greens (ZS). It carries the name of the president of SPS and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić, who is also, as the name of the list indicates, its candidate for the Prime Minister.
In last year’s parliamentary election, the list submitted by the same coalition and named the same, won 11.44% of the vote and 31 out of 250 MPs.
3. Vojislav Šešelj – Serbian Radical Party
The list was submitted by the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and named after its longtime leader Vojislav Šešelj.
In last year’s parliamentary election, the party won 2.16% of the vote and failed to pass the 3% threshold. It last entered parliament in 2016.
4. Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski – Boško Obradović – National Rally – State-building force – Serbian Party “Zavetnici” – Serbian Movement “Dveri”
The list was submitted by the nationalist opposition parties “Zavetnici” and “Dveri” and named after its leaders Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski and Boško Obradović.
In last year’s parliamentary election, “Zavetnici” ran independently and won 3.71% of the vote and 10 MPs. “Dveri” ran in a coalition which won 3.8%, also receiving 10 seats.
5. Dr. Miloš Jovanović – Hope for Serbia – Serbian Coalition NADA – National Democratic Alternative – New Democratic Party of Serbia (NDSS) – Movement for the Renewal of the Kingdom of Serbia (POKS) – Vojislav Mihailović
The list was submitted by the conservative Eurosceptic New Democratic Party of Serbia (NDSS) and the Movement for the Renewal of the Kingdom of Serbia (POKS) and named after its two leaders.
In last year’s parliamentary election, the same coalition, running under the same name, won 5.37% and 15 out of 250 MPs.
6.Vаjdasági Magyar Szövetség – Elnökünkért, Közösségünkért, a Jövőért!- Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians – For our President, for our community, for our future!
The list was submitted by the minority party Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ), the largest Hungarian party in the country. The name refers to its former longtime president István Pásztor, who died in October.
In last year’s parliamentary election, the party won 1.58% of the vote. Since the 3% threshold does not apply to national minority lists, the party won 5 seats in the parliament.
7. Serbia Against Violence – Miroslav Miki Aleksić – Marinika Tepić
The full name of the list includes the names of the parties which submitted it: Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), People’s Movement of Serbia (NPS), Green-Left Front (ZLF), Ecological Uprising (EU), Democratic Party (DS), Free Citizens Movement (PSG), Serbia Centre (SRCE), Together (Zajedno) and the New Face of Serbia (NLS).
It is the largest pro-EU opposition coalition formed in Serbia since 2012 and named after the mass protests that broke out in May following two mass shootings.
In last year’s parliamentary election, most of the parties within the coalition ran on two lists: “United for the Victory of Serbia”, which won 13.67% of the vote and 38 out of 250 seats in the parliament, and “We Must”, which won 4.7% and 13 out of 250 MPs.
8. Usame Zukorlić – United for Justice – Party of Justice of Reconciliation – Bosniaks of Sandžak, Tomislav Žigmanov – Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina
The list is a coalition of the Bosniak minority Party of Justice and Reconciliation (SPP) and a Croat minority Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina (DSHV), named after its two leaders, Usame Zukorlić and Tomislav Žigmanov, who is the current Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue in the Government of Serbia.
In last year’s parliamentary election, SPP won 0.94% and 3 MPs, while DSHV ran as a part of the coalition which won 0.63% and 2 MPs (since the 3% threshold does not apply for minority lists).
9. SDA Sandžak – Dr. Sulejman Ugljanin
The list was submitted by the Bosniak minority Party of Democratic Action of Sandžak (SDA) and named after its longtime leader Sulejman Ugljanin.
In last year’s parliamentary election, the party won 0.54% of the vote and 2 seats in the parliament.
10. Together for Future and Development – Coalition for Peace and Tolerance
The list was submitted by 13 organizations representing a large number of national minority communities in Serbia, including Bosniaks, Croats, Hungarians, Greeks, Vlachs and Roma. The first candidate on the list is Jahja Ferhatović, former member of the Party of Justice and Reconciliation (list 8) and a member of parliament since 2016.
In last year’s election, none of the parties running on the list received representation in the parliament.
11. People’s Party – Safe Choice. Serious People – Vuk Jeremić, Dr. Sanda Rašković Ivić, Siniša Kovačević, Vladimir Gajić, Marina Lipovac Tanasković.
The list was submitted by People Party (NS), which is led by the former Foreign Minister of Serbia Vuk Jeremić. The name of the lists includes Jeremić’s name, as well as the names of other prominent party members.
In last year’s election, the party ran as a part of the largest opposition coalition “United for the Victory of Serbia”. Out of 38 seats won by the list, 12 were allocated to the People’s Party. Earlier this year, deputy president of the party Miroslav Aleksić founded a new political party – People’s Movement of Serbia, which is now a member of the Serbia Against Violence coalition.
12. Saša Radulović (Enough is Enough – DJB) – Boris Tadić (Social Democratic Party – SDS) – Ana Pejić (Abducted Babies) – Good Morning Serbia
The list was submitted by the Eurosceptic Enough is Enough (DJB) party led by Saša Radulović, the first candidate on the list, and Social Democratic Party (SDS) led by former President of Serbia Boris Tadić, who is the second to last candidate on the list. “Abducted Babies” is an organisation which demands the investigation of the case of babies allegedly abducted from maternity hospitals in the past several decades, a longstanding issue in Serbia.
In last year’s election, DJB ran as a part of the coalition which won 2.27% of the vote, while SDS ran in a coalition which won 1.67%. “Abducted Babies” ran on its own and won 0.82%. None of the lists crossed the 3% threshold. Both DJB and SDS last entered parliament in the 2016 election.
13. “Political Struggle of Albanians Continues – Shaip Kamberi” “Koalicioni: “Beteja Politike e Shqiptarëve Vazhdon – Shaip Kamberi”
The list was submitted by a coalition of four Albanian minority political parties – Party of Democratic Action, Party of Democratic Progress, Democratic Union of Albanians and Democratic Party of Albanians. It is named after the leader of the Party of Democratic Action Shaip Kamberi.
Last year, Kamberi, as a candidate on a minority list, won a seat in the parliament by receiving 0.27% of the vote.
14. We – The Voice From the People, Professor Dr. Branimir Nestorović
The list was submitted by a group of citizens gathered around pulmonologist Branimir Nestorović, who rose to prominence during the outbreak of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic as a member of the Government Crisis Staff. He was subsequently accused of downplaying the seriousness of the virus and then of promoting various conspiracy theories. Nestorović enjoys a high degree of popularity on YouTube and social media.
Last year, Nestorović supported the list headed by “Dveri”. His popularity in electoral context is hard to determine as he has never appeared in polls so far.
15. Serbia in the West – Zoran Vuletić – Nemanja Milošević – Experts Should Have a Say – Vladimir Kovačević
The list was submitted by the New Party–Experts Should Have a Say, led by Vladimir Kovačević, which is running in a coalition with the Civic Democratic Forum (GDF), led by Zoran Vuletić and “Glas” – The Voice, led by Nemanja Milošević. The coalition holds strong pro-Euro-Atlantic positions.
The New Party was founded and previously led by the former Prime Minister of Serbia Zoran Živković. It managed to enter parliament in 2014 and 2016 as a part of coalitions, but failed to do so in 2020 and 2022. The Voice and GDF were founded in 2019 and have not participated in elections before.
16. Russian Party – Slobodan Nikolić
The party represents the Russian national minority in Serbia. Registered in 2013, it ran in several previous elections, but never managed to win seats in the parliament.
17. Čedomir Jovanović – It Must Be Done Differently
The list is named after Čedomir Jovanović, the first candidate and the president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which was the most prominent liberal party in Serbia until the mid-2010s. However, the party has been marginalised in recent years and did not submit the list this time (it was done by a group of citizens).
Last time Jovanović ran in a parliamentary election, in 2020, he won 0.32% of the vote.
18. Albanian Democratic Alternative – United Valley, Alternativa Demokratike Shqiptare-Lugina e Bashkuar
The list was submitted by a coalition of Albanian minority parties – Alternative for Changes and Movement for Reforms. The former is led by Shqiprim Arifi, mayor of the mostly Albanian-populated town of Preševo.
In last year’s election, the list headed by Alternative for Changes did not win enough votes to gain parliamentary representation. The only seat won by Albanian parties went to Shaip Kameri, who is now again running on a different list (number 13).
