- Published
If Sunday's parliamentary elections really are a battle for the heart of Serbia, then who better than a cardiologist to be one of the leading figures in the race.
asserted
who → publish → race
Ilija Srdanović appears an unlikely opponent for Serbia's long-serving leader, Aleksandar Vučić, arriving for an interview by motorbike sporting a fluorescent yellow jacket emblazoned with pro-student slogans.
asserted
Srdanović → appear → slogans
He has been selected as top candidate for an opposition movement posing the most serious challenge to Vučić since the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) entered government in 2012.
asserted
Party → select → 2012
The Student List has emerged from almost two years of anti-corruption protests led by young Serbians, outraged by the deaths of 16 people when a railway station's canopy collapsed in Serbia's second city Novi Sad.
asserted
canopy → emerge → city
Instead of running for office themselves, student-led assemblies at the country's university faculties have chosen 250 candidates to stand in the parliamentary election, with Srdanović, professor at Novi Sad University, heading the list.
"It is absolutely normal to stand with my students to help them in their fair struggle," Srdanović told the BBC.
asserted
Srdanović → run → BBC
The Student List is up against a Serbian leader who has served successively as deputy prime minister, prime minister and president since 2012.
asserted
who → serve → 2012
When he called these snap elections last month, he stood down as president to run again for the role of prime minister.
asserted
he → call → minister
Whatever Vučić's title, there has never been any doubt that he was the man in charge – an image enthusiastically promoted by Serbia's largely uncritical media.
asserted
he → promote → media
He retains strong support among a significant section of Serbia's population.
asserted
He → retain → population
They view him as a strong leader who stands up for the country's interests.
asserted
who → view → interests
He can also point to significant economic growth over the past decade and numerous improvements in infrastructure.
asserted
He → point → infrastructure
Vučić has painted the student movement as foreign-backed and seeking to "bring down our state". "Let us always protect and defend it," he told supporters at a final campaign rally.
asserted
he → paint → rally
Just like the protest movement from which it developed, the Student List has no hierarchy or nominated leader.
asserted
List → develop → hierarchy
This makes it a proposition unlike any other in Serbia's relatively short democratic history.
asserted
it → make → history
Reliable polls are thin on the ground, but analysts are predicting an extremely tight vote.
asserted
analysts → predict → vote
Ilija Srdanović may head the list of candidates – but he is not the movement's leader and would not necessarily be first choice prime minister if they won.
uncertain
they → head → candidates
Srdanović insists that the Student List has a clear vision: "We offer to our citizens the core values of civilised society, which this previous regime has taken away from our citizens for the last time."
asserted
regime → insist → time
The other candidates on the Student List range from academics to athletes – and economists to engineers.
asserted
candidates → range → engineers
None of them has a political background.
asserted
None → have → background
But the students who selected them believe that is a strength, rather than a weakness.
asserted
that → select → them
"We've gathered people who are actually the best in their fields, and we really think that they are competent enough to rule the country," says Aleksandra, a student at Novi Sad University who only wants to give her first name.
asserted
who → gather → name
"All of them are gathered around the same vision of a country where the freedom of speech is ruling, where you can walk to your home in the middle of the night and you will not be beaten up by some hooligans," she adds.
asserted
she → gather → hooligans
The Student List and its supporters say that Aleksandar Vučić and the SNS dominate state institutions and media coverage.
asserted
Vučić → say → institutions
At the last parliamentary election in 2023, the International Election Observation Mission noted "overwhelming ruling party advantage" due to "bias in the media" and "misuse of public office and resources".
asserted
Mission → note → office
The BBC approached leading figures in the SNS for an interview but was not offered a response.
asserted
BBC → approach → response
Its residents have repeatedly attacked journalists and made the park a no-go zone for local people.
asserted
park → attack → people
Vučić has called the camp "a symbol of resistance" against those who "cannot stand different opinions".
asserted
who → call → opinions
But his major challenge remains what happened outside Novi Sad railway station two years ago.
asserted
what → remain → station
The station's renovation was a key part of his signature infrastructure project – the high-speed line linking Belgrade and Budapest.
asserted
renovation → link → Belgrade
So it has been difficult for Vučić to distance himself from the disaster.
asserted
Vučić → distance → disaster
Protests followed, with participants accusing the authorities of corruption and having "blood on their hands".
asserted
participants → follow → hands
"This is a problem for the government," says Magda Anastasijevic, the Eastern Europe analyst for the conflict monitor, ACLED.
asserted
Anastasijevic → say → monitor
"Vučić has survived this in the past, he was always able to find a scapegoat and blame whatever problems on them.
asserted
he → survive → them
This was not the case for the canopy."
On the diplomatic front, he has performed a delicate balancing act.
asserted
he → perform → act
Membership talks with the EU continue, albeit fitfully, even as Serbia retains close ties with Russia and China – both countries that refuse to recognise Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia.
asserted
that → continue → Serbia
Vučić has warned those links could be severed if the Student List took power.
uncertain
List → warn → power
"When you ask them: will you impose sanctions on Russia?
asserted
you → ask → Russia
Silence, umming and ah-ing, but no answer," he told the audience at a pre-election rally.
asserted
he → tell → rally
"You know what the Chinese think, you've heard what Vladimir Putin said.
asserted
Putin → know → what
So you decide.
asserted
you → decide → ?
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
