Campaigning ahead of Serbia’s parliamentary elections on October 25 continued with messages from political parties addressing voters on party support, European integration and pension rights.
Dačić: “The Reds Will Never Tire”
Ivica Dačić, leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), said his coalition was facing attacks from multiple sides during the election campaign, arguing that the criticism demonstrated that the socialists remained politically relevant.
“If we are irrelevant, why is everyone attacking us? Why are they dealing with us if we are weak?” Dačić said, according to an SPS statement. He is heading the “Factor of Stability” electoral list.
Dačić also rejected attempts to question the level of support for the SPS following a rally at Belgrade Arena. He claimed that some critics were portraying the gathering, which he said attracted more than 20,000 people, as if it had been created by artificial intelligence.
“When they look at the pictures from our Arena, it is a mirage to them. They will never understand that the SPS has its loyal electorate and that our idea will never be silenced. We, the Reds, will never tire or be silenced,” Dačić said.
Authentic Right Promises Full Pensions
Miloš Jovanović, head of the “Authentic Right” electoral list, pledged that his coalition would guarantee full pensions to everyone who had earned them through their work if it came to power.
According to a statement from the coalition, the pledge would be implemented by amending Serbia’s Law on Pension and Disability Insurance.
Jovanović cited the example of workers who retired at the age of 60 after completing 40 years of service but currently receive reduced pension payments.
“Such a worker must under no circumstances be penalized, but should receive the full pension they deserve upon reaching the age of 65,” Jovanović said.
Serbia Centre Highlights Importance of EU Membership
The Serbia Centre (SRCE) party, led by Zdravko Ponoš, argued that Serbia’s membership in the European Union would strengthen the country’s fight against organized crime and enable it to participate fully in European security decision-making.
The party stressed that criminal networks operate across national borders and said EU membership would give Serbia a representative with voting rights on Europol’s Management Board, allowing it to help shape the agency’s work and priorities.
“Membership would not automatically resolve every case, but it would enable Serbia to participate on equal terms in decisions shaping Europe’s response to security threats,” the party said.
SRCE also pointed to Operation Trigger X, conducted across 17 European countries, including Serbia, with financial support from the EU and Germany.
The party noted that Serbia participates in regional security cooperation but does not have a seat or voting rights on Europol’s Management Board.
“The EU invests in the security of our region, and Serbia participates in that effort as a partner, but without a place and voting rights on Europol’s Management Board. That is a difference the authorities must explain to citizens,” SRCE said.
The party added that Serbia’s exclusion from full decision-making in European security institutions was a consequence of the government’s policies, arguing that citizens expected more effective action against organized crime and institutions they could trust.
“Any future government must demonstrate that the European path and citizens’ security are genuine priorities, not empty promises of the kind we have heard until now,” the party said.
