Parallel to the idea that the only way to win elections is over the regime Aleksandar Vučić the gathering of all his political opponents at one, so-called catch-all list, part of the analysts, opposition actors and public figures believes that the "three columns" model could be more functional than the attempt to create one broad, ideologically heterogeneous bloc.
Since the electorate of opponents of the regime is not homogeneous, i.e. some opposition voters gravitate towards civil and liberal options, others towards national-conservative parties, while others seek a social or protest expression that is not necessarily clearly ideologically defined, the idea of "three columns" could be acceptable for those voters who do not want to give up the mentioned political identities at any cost.
Such an approach counts on the psychology of voters - that it is easier to mobilize people when they feel that they are voting "for their own", and not for a compromise that they perceive as unnatural.
In addition to the Democratic Party, which has long since put all its capacities into operation, yet undisclosed "student lists", co-president of the Green-Left Front (ZLF) Radomir Lazović recently stated that the ZLF's position is to also provide full support to the student list in case of summer elections.
Photo: Zoran Mrđa/FoNetStudent protest
The myth of noises between the opposition and students
At the same time, the Movement of Free Citizens (PSG), which is ideologically close to them, is apparently still thinking about a different appearance in the elections, even if they are summer elections, independent of the "student list".
PSG President Pavle Grbović, speaking about the future elections, stated that objectively there are no differences between the students and the opposition, but that "a myth has been created about it".
Photo: Tanjug/Strahinja AćimovićPavle Grbović: There is no need for a third catch-all list
In the "U centar" podcast, he assessed that those noises are made by "people who have given themselves the right to interpret students' views without authorization and exclusively".
"That's how you end up in a situation where the loudest proponent of leaving the Assembly is the one who has the most direct economic interest in keeping his clients from leaving power. Clearly. And now we need to be morally inferior in relation to that? Well, I won't," he said.
Grbović added that there is also a part of people who on social networks, mostly under pseudonyms, through unconditional support or confrontation with dissenters, are in fact dealing with their own conscience.
"Now they know that they can recognize a controlled opposition from somewhere on the sidelines, but they could not recognize that their leader Mica Zavetnica will sell the opposition and enter power, that their leaders from 'Mi glas iz narod' will decide to disempower the SNS in Belgrade, that their leader will in one moment, from revanchism and all that nonsense, eventually become a special envoy and letter carrier," he added.
Speaking about the upcoming elections, Grbović assessed that there is no room for another coalition that can attract the widest range of voters of different beliefs because it will already be the electoral list of the government and the electoral list of students.
"I think for another one catch-all there is no space coalition, if you have one catch-all government and catch-all student list", concluded Grbović.
Photo: Printscreen / Instagram / @irenamrvicaStudent campaign
Optimal – in three columns
The president of the New Democratic Party of Serbia (New DSS), Miloš Jovanović, said that the party is ready to go to the elections and acts as if President Aleksandar Vučić will call them tomorrow.
He told N1 television that he does not believe that the elections will take place soon, but that, whenever the elections are held, it would be optimal for the opposition to go in three columns.
"I really take the students very seriously. I hope for the success of that list. I have said publicly several times: without a minimum of 35 percent of the votes for that list, we will not make changes. Well, we also said that without right-leaning voters, that change cannot happen. I think that three columns is the optimal thing and I would like colleagues from the pro-European opposition to somehow unite, if they have united so many times so far, now when perhaps it is most needed," Jovanović explained.
Speaking about why the New DSS did not attend the meetings of the opposition where they talked about a possible joint participation in the upcoming elections, Jovanović pointed out that this was not a refusal to cooperate.
Photo: Tanjug/Zoran ŽestićMiloš Jovanović: Three columns are optimal
"We will cooperate on election control, and I think we should for some other things as well, for example if it happens that the presidential elections are held at the same time as the parliamentary elections. I think we should have solutions there. I have some proposals, but more on that later," said Jovanović.
When asked if there could be a change of attitude and possibly coming out on one list or giving up participation in the elections with the support of the student list, Jovanović said that this would not happen, first of all, because the students said that they would not have one list.
He stated that a political party, by definition, cannot support another electoral list, emphasizing that he will not allow his ideological commitments to remain silent, and that he will not allow "another change without a change in policy", which, as he stated, was the case in 2012.
He emphasized that without the votes of right-wing voters, there would be no change and said that he could support the student list as much as he wanted, but that they would not vote for it.
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