Serbia's Student List begins coalition talks after election win
Serbia's leaderless Student List movement is preparing government formation talks after a projected landslide election win, with Aleksandar Vučić conceding defeat.
The story in focus
Serbia's Student List movement, which has no governing experience, is preparing talks on forming a government after a projected election landslide, The Guardian reports. Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat. The movement, which has no clear leader, must agree on a prime minister and cabinet.
- The Centre for Free Elections and Democracy projected the Student List at 53% of the vote, or 141 of 250 seats, The Guardian reported.
- Vučić's Serbian Progressive party was projected at 39%, or 103 seats, and Vučić conceded defeat late on Sunday.
- National minority party lists took the remaining seats, according to the projections.
- Serbia's constitution requires the new parliament to convene within 30 days of the official result and a government to form within 90 days after that.
- The movement is deliberately leaderless, so it is unclear whom it will appoint as prime minister and cabinet.
What the projections showed
With 100% of ballot samples counted, the Centre for Free Elections and Democracy in Belgrade projected the Student List on 53% of the vote, giving it 141 seats in the 250-seat parliament, The Guardian reported. Aleksandar Vučić's Serbian Progressive party (SNS) was projected at 39%, or 103 seats, with the remaining seats going to national minority party lists.
Vučić conceded defeat late on Sunday, The Guardian reported, ending his 14-year rule. The result followed two years of anti-government protests triggered by the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station that killed 16 people.
An untested, leaderless movement
The Student List has no experience of government and is built around collective decision-making with no hierarchy, The Guardian reported. Its candidates included academics, actors and farmers as well as students, but it is unclear whom it will appoint as prime minister and cabinet.
Prominent figures named by The Guardian include Ilija Srdanović, a cardiologist who headed the candidate list; Dejan Šoškić, a former central bank governor; and Radomir Saičić, a chemistry professor who spoke for the List after its victory. Candidate Ana Mirković said the movement's first priority was what she called the social and psychological detoxification of the country.
Constitutional timetable
Serbia's constitution requires the new parliament to convene within 30 days of the official election result and sets a 90-day deadline after that for formation of a government, The Guardian reported. New presidential elections must also be held before 27 December because Vučić stepped down to run for prime minister.
Analyst Nikola Burazer of the Belgrade-based Centre for Contemporary Politics told The Guardian the movement's decision-making needed to be sped up. The Kremlin said on Monday it hoped the new leaders would see cooperation with Russia as in Serbia's interest.
When must Serbia's new parliament convene and a government be formed?
Under Serbia's constitution, the new parliament must convene within 30 days of the official election result, and a government must be formed within 90 days after that, The Guardian reported.
Sources & further reading
- Serbia’s Student List preparing for talks on forming government despite no clear leader ↗The Guardian
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