A new proposal has emerged in the debate over how Serbia’s opposition should organize for the upcoming parliamentary elections. University professor Milo Lompar suggested creating a single joint electoral list combining students and opposition representatives, but with one key condition — party candidates should come from academic circles, while party leaders would be excluded.
Different Models for Opposition Organization
Discussions about opposition cooperation have already included several possible scenarios. These range from a single student list, to two separate lists (student and opposition), and finally to multiple opposition lists, including student, pro-European, and right-wing options. According to many observers, the last option currently appears the most likely.
Speaking on N1 television, Lompar argued that a unified list would reduce political polarization. He emphasized that professors have a responsibility to support students’ right to protest and stated that cooperation between nationally and civically oriented groups is essential to bring political change and replace the current government.
Green-Left Front: Coordination Is Necessary, But Without Elitism
Biljana Đorđević, co-president of the Green-Left Front and a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Sciences, said she would not interfere in determining who should appear on a student list. However, she noted that the student list should clearly represent students, whose activism largely explains its public support.
Đorđević questioned whether Lompar’s idea was merely theoretical or an attempt to encourage student movements to coordinate with opposition parties. She acknowledged that some academics active in political parties might not be widely recognized as party officials, but warned against limiting parliamentary candidates only to university professors.
She stressed that the key priority should be reliable and principled candidates across all anti-government lists, noting that once elected, members of parliament control their mandates and face significant political pressure. According to her, effective coordination among opposition groups could be achieved either through one unified list or through agreements among several ideologically diverse anti-government lists.
New DSS: Students Should Decide Independently
Miloš Jovanović, president of the New Democratic Party of Serbia, described the issue as an internal matter for the student list. He stated that his party does not interfere in the formation of other electoral lists.
Jovanović reiterated his party’s position that a strong and authentic right-wing opposition list is necessary to defeat President Aleksandar Vučić’s government and enable meaningful political change in Serbia.
Democratic Party: Risk of Divisions Within the Student Movement
Biljana Stojković, professor at the Faculty of Biology and member of the Democratic Party leadership, pointed out that students have already defined criteria for candidates. She explained that these criteria may allow professors who are party members to participate, provided they are not party officials.
Stojković warned that Lompar’s proposal could allow political parties to increase their influence over the student list through academic representatives. According to her, this could create new divisions within the student movement, which she believes should remain independent from party negotiations.
She also expressed doubts about whether party officials would be willing to give up parliamentary seats, noting that many opposition parties justify election participation partly due to parliamentary funding.
Ongoing Debate About Opposition Strategy
The discussion highlights broader uncertainty within Serbia’s opposition about how to maximize electoral success. While some advocate for unity through a single list, others argue that coordinated but separate opposition platforms may better reflect Serbia’s diverse political landscape.
