Belgrade Diary: Election Day in Serbia
The Serbian Progressive Party's leader, Aleksandar Vučić, finally had a real competitor in Student List.
On election day in Serbia, all normal time stopped as voters lined up in droves. Friends back home sent footage of long lines snaking through city streets and parks, with one friend even reporting a festive party held by Serbian voters living abroad. The Serbian Republic Electoral Commission had recently announced that diaspora voters would only be able to cast ballots during Serbia's regular voting hours, leading some to travel to their embassies or consulates late at night.
The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) had recently announced a last-minute rule change, interpreted by many as an attempt to undercut its opposition rivals. Serbian diaspora voters were known to favor the opposition. One friend even bet that the opposition would win by a landslide, expressing cautious optimism despite the ruler's notorious history of manipulating elections.
The opposition, however, had managed to bring together a diverse slate of candidates consisting of professors, doctors, actors and engineers, all selected via plenum, representing a novel approach to national politics.
Despite the ominous signs – a scheduled football match, potential mass arrests, and an aggressive police presence – the opposition managed to pull off a higher than expected turnout. By 9 A.M., early voter turnout was already double that of the previous election, leading to speculation of a landslide victory for the opposition.
Written by urgent.news from The Paris Review's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
