With four days to go until the campaign silence period, which starts on Thursday evening, election participants are making their final pitches to the voters. During the week from 4 to 10 December, Serbian Progressive Party released a list of more than 2,000 public figures supporting it, while President Vučić unexpectedly announced that Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, would get Serbian citizenship.
Meanwhile, “Serbia Against Violence” coalition published several new campaign videos underlining its priorities, while some of its members visited Kosovo. Two largest right-wing coalitions held closing rallies in Belgrade.
The ruling parties: Vučić promotes Serbian citizenship of Steve Wozniak… and Lord Voldemort
On 6 December, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić held a press conference with the co-founder of Apple Steve Wozniak, announcing that Wozniak and his wife would be getting Serbian citizenship. According to Vučić, the topic of the meeting was the improvement of education in Serbia. He added that Wozniak visited Belgrade on the initiative of the retired tennis player Janko Tipsarević, who is a member of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Wozniak, whose affinities towards Serbia were previously unknown, said that he would “promote” the country from now on and become a Serb living in the United States.
Later that same day, Vučić reminded that another public figure was granted Serbian citizenship – actor Ralph Fiennes. “Did you know that Lord Voldemort is a Serb?” asked Vučić in a video uploaded to his new Tiktok account, referring to the Fiennes’s role in the Harry Potter series. The footage in the video shows Vučić granting Fiennes, who filmed several movies in Serbia, honorary citizenship in 2017.
Later in the week, SNS released a list of more than 2,000 public figures supporting the party in the upcoming elections. It was widely regarded as a response to the ProGlas, a “get out the vote campaign” launched in November by public figures critical of the government. This is not the first time SNS is releasing signatures of support. Among the new names was one of the most famous Serbian athletes, basketball player Nikola Jokić.
Vučić’s interview to a government-critical weekly NIN, the first since 2016, also drew attention. In the interview, the President rejected allegations of corruption and ties with organised crime of which SNS has been accused. Asked about the video and audio material released by the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia where an arrangement for 9,000 RSD in exchange of vote for SNS is heard, Vučić claimed it was a fabrication.
The campaign of SNS continued with rallies across Serbia, including in the cities of Kruševac and Vranje, where local elections are taking place as well on 17 December. The party released several new ads focusing on the improvement of the position of women in Serbia.
Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) also held a series of events, with reels posted on their Facebook page mostly focusing on the continuity of the party with Yugoslav communists, but also the original SPS founded by Slobodan Milošević. The party was also forced to apologise to SNS for actions of one of its members in Blace, southern Serbia, who sang an offensive song about Vučić.
“Serbia Against Violence” releases new campaign ads, part of the coalition visits Kosovo
In the penultimate week of the campaign, representatives of the largest opposition pro-EU list visited several cities in Serbia and held conventions, concluding with a rally in the second largest city of Novi Sad.
While in previous weeks Serbia against Violence published compilations of speeches, this week it released first real campaign videos. The video released on 7 December focused on the fight against corruption and violence, improving the living standard, as well as on achieving a normal life in Serbia. Another video, released on 9 December, featured a folk music tune played by the co-leader of the list Miroslav Aleksić on accordion, while the lyrics stated the campaign priorities of the coalition.
Representatives of Serbia against Violence, including Aleksić, also visited Kosovo, which has not been in focus of the campaign until now. After honoring the murdered Serb politician, Oliver Ivanović, the representatives of the coalition said that the normalization of life in Kosovo is needed, but that an agreement that implies a violation of the Serbian Constitution is unacceptable. Miroslav Aleksić said that “any agreement, even the Franco-German one, which implies the recognition of Kosovo, Kosovo’s membership in the United Nations cannot be acceptable…we can discuss some other solution.”
A large opposition event was organized in Novi Sad on Saturday, 9 December, which was also attended by candidates for the provincial elections in Vojvodina. Co-leader of the list Marinika Tepić urged the gathered citizens to go to the polls in as large numbers as possible. The opposition’s message, which was often emphasized during this week, was that if the turnout increases by 5%, SNS will not be able to form a government.
Members of the coalition marked the International Anti-Corruption Day and held a press conference where they revealed an alleged letter revealing that SNS received 8 million EUR bribe for a construction of a highway in western Serbia. They urged the prosecution to determine whether the letter is credible.
National Rally and NADA coalitions hold concluding rallies in Belgrade
The main topics of the right-wing opposition campaign continue to revolve around three key issues: the status of Kosovo and the Franco-German proposal (European Plan for Kosovo), rejection of Serbia’s European path, and concerns about foreign investments in Serbia, including the Rio Tinto lithium mining project.
The final rallies of the election campaign in Belgrade were held during the weekend by the “National Rally” and the NADA coalition.
During the Belgrade rally, leaders of the “National Rally” declared that Serbia was getting a new “sovereigntist government” after the elections. They reiterated that the first measure of this government would be the rejection of the Franco-German plan, adding that, after the elections, they could only collaborate with political actors sharing the same stance on this issue.
Addressing the government program of the “National Rally coalition”, president of “Dveri” Boško Obradović stated that Serbia does not want to be a humiliated European colony and that they will request observer status for Serbia in BRICS.
He also mentioned that their program includes a firm stance against sanctions on Russia and NATO membership. “We send a message to the NATO: Just as you withdrew from Afghanistan, you will withdraw from Kosovo and Metohija”, Obradović said.
Leaders of “National Rally” met in Belgrade with representatives of right-wing European parties from Germany (AfD), Hungary (Mi Hazánk), and Bulgaria (Varazhdane). There parties discussed formation of an alliance aimed at halting migrations and defending Europe from destructive processes.
During their visit to Belgrade, leaders of these parties laid wreaths at the memorial for Milica Rakić, a girl who lost her life during the 1999 NATO bombing.
The leader of NADA Coalition, Miloš Jovanović, emphasized that cooperation among the entire opposition in Belgrade must persist even after the elections to succeed in overthrowing the current government. He added that cooperation at the city level is possible since the issues are communal rather than ideological.
During the past week, Vuk Jeremić, the leader of People’s Party, stated that Serbia’s EU membership has become unimaginable because “acceptance of the Franco-German Plan and de facto recognition of Kosovo are required to continue accession process”.
He stated that his party would be the “most pleasant surprise of these elections”, as it is not supported by “any domestic or foreign clan”. “We are the safest vote for Kosovo in Serbia, the ban on lithium mining, and a change in the system”, Jeremić concluded at the party gathering in Valjevo.
