Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has returned to the electoral list of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), taking the top position on the “United Serbia” list for the upcoming parliamentary elections, in a move analysts say underscores his central role in the party and its candidate selection.
The list, which contains 250 candidates, was the first electoral slate submitted and officially proclaimed by Serbia’s Republican Electoral Commission (RIK).
According to Milomir Mandić, a researcher at Demostat, the biggest change compared with previous SNS electoral lists is Vučić’s return as the list’s lead candidate. SNS President Miloš Vučević is second, while Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić is third.
“The other names are more or less irrelevant,” Mandić told Danas.
Key ministers absent from the list
Several prominent SNS ministers do not appear among the candidates, including Finance Minister Siniša Mali, Health Minister Zlatibor Lončar, Foreign Minister Marko Đurić and Defense Minister Bratislav Gašić.
The list does include ministers who are currently serving in a caretaker capacity, Andrijana Mesarović and Nikola Selaković, alongside a number of longstanding SNS figures.
Among them are Marijan Rističević, Arno Gujon, Nebojša Bakarec and Marko Atlagić. Former Srpska Lista leader Goran Rakić and lawyer Vladimir Đukanović are also on the list.
Professor Stojan Radeović, who has previously been presented by the party as a prominent figure in science, is ranked fourth. Former parliamentary deputy speakers Marina Raguš and Milenko Jovanov have also moved up the list.
Radicals receive prominent positions
The “United Serbia” list marks a shift in the ruling party’s coalition lineup, with representatives of Aleksandar Vulin’s Socialist Movement and Rasim Ljajić’s Social Democratic Party of Serbia absent.
The list retains representatives of PUPS while including candidates from the Serbian Radical Party, which is supporting Vučić for prime minister.
Aleksandar Šešelj, the son of SRS leader Vojislav Šešelj, is ranked 37th, while Vjerica Radeta is 61st.
Several public figures from the entertainment sector also occupy relatively high positions. Actress Lidija Vukićević is ninth, while Jelena Đukić Milinković is 11th.
Former Democratic Party member and former Culture Minister in the government of assassinated Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić, actor Branislav Lečić, is ranked 15th.
Students and controversial candidates
Students make up around 6 percent of the 250 candidates, according to Danas.
Among them is Miloš Pavlović, a student associated with the pro-government protest camp known as “Ćacilend,” who is ranked 27th. Vladimir Balać, ranked 91st, is also included.
The list has also drawn attention because of candidates with controversial backgrounds.
Samir Tandir, formerly a lawmaker for Muamer Zukorlić’s Party of Justice and Reconciliation and now associated with the Bosniak-Serbian Alliance, is ranked 43rd. He was previously sentenced to seven months in prison over a 2020 physical assault in Prijepolje, according to Danas.
Two candidates from Čačak, Miloš Stevanić and Matija Popović, are also on the list. They became known after throwing eggs at citizens from SNS premises during a previous political confrontation, according to the newspaper.
Analysts question the selection criteria
Marko Vujić, a professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, told Danas that the composition of the SNS list was largely predictable and reflected what he described as a selection of “proven” loyalists prepared to vote according to the interests of the party and its potential prime minister, Vučić.
Vujić argued that loyalty, discipline and an absence of internal dissent have become defining characteristics of SNS parliamentary groups since 2012.
He compared the party’s parliamentary structure to military organization, saying most lawmakers primarily vote according to party instructions, while a smaller group takes a more visible role in political confrontations.
Vujić also criticized what he described as a double standard in the scrutiny of political candidates, arguing that controversial biographies and qualifications of ruling-party candidates often receive less attention than those of opposition or student candidates.
Political analyst Dragomir Anđelković similarly argued that the individual quality of the SNS list has limited importance because, in his assessment, Vučić remains the central decision-maker.
“He takes care first of having obedient future MPs on the list,” Anđelković said, adding that Vučić’s own political profile and campaign activity are more important than the candidates themselves.
The composition of the “United Serbia” list therefore reinforces the dominant role Vučić continues to play within the ruling political establishment, while the prominence given to loyal candidates and the inclusion of former coalition partners and Radical Party figures reflect broader efforts to consolidate support ahead of the elections.
