Vucic unveils mock ballot for June 27 rally

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic posted on his Instagram account on Tuesday, June 23, the design of a “ballot slip” that citizens will use at the “Serbia, one family” rally scheduled for June 27 outside the National Assembly. The slip offers fifteen topics drawn from various areas of the country’s development, and rally-goers will pick the five they consider most important and drop their choice into specially prepared boxes.

The authorities frame the move as a form of direct expression, a message that citizens, as it was presented, should “not be mere observers, but active participants.” The slip is thus pitched as a symbolic way of deciding on state priorities, with the boxes placed in the open serving as a visual prop for the whole event. The announcement comes amid a pre-election mood, just days before the ruling party is expected to formally unveil its electoral list.

What exactly does the slip offer citizens?

According to the published material, the slip lists fifteen areas, and the mechanism is simple: pick five of fifteen, then place the marked topics into ballot boxes outside parliament. The format deliberately mimics voting, even though it carries no binding legal weight and is not part of the official electoral process. A wider production surrounds the rally as well. Organizers have announced the unfurling of a giant Serbian flag and a performance by robots that, according to the announcements, arrived from China and will be programmed to dance a traditional kolo to accordion music.

For the party leadership, this format serves a clear function. The image of citizens “voting” for state priorities works well as a message of unity and mobilization, especially when broadcast from a drone and across social media. Alongside the post, the president said he would see everyone in Belgrade on June 27, personalizing the rally further through his own communication channel.

Direct democracy or pre-election choreography?

Opposition critics see the move as pre-election marketing and object that “voting” with no legal effect creates an illusion of participation, while real decisions remain with the executive. On their reading, the symbolism of the ballot box borrows the legitimacy of a real vote without its consequences or oversight. The authorities, for their part, insist the point is precisely to hear citizens’ voices on what the state should do.

The open question is how much the choice of five topics will actually shape concrete government action, and how much the rally will above all remain a demonstration of numbers and organizational strength before the electoral cycle. The format itself, with no rules on who counts the votes or what happens with the result, leaves room for both interpretations. The Vidovdan weekend thus becomes both a test of mobilization and a test of trust in the message the authorities are sending.

Does this kind of expression mean real influence over state priorities for you, or is it above all stagecraft ahead of an election?