Jovanovic after election: We will return to Parliament
The New DSS leader took responsibility for his list's result and announced a Presidency meeting on Tuesday, while Dragan Djilas and Radomir Lazovic congratulated the Student List.
Milos Jovanovic, president of New DSS and head of the Authentic Right list, said on Sunday evening, October 25, that his list had not made it into the new National Assembly. At his campaign headquarters he took responsibility for the poor result, congratulated the Student List and said the party would return to parliament. Congratulations also came from Dragan Djilas, on the social network X, and from Radomir Lazovic, who spoke to the Beta agency in the night between October 25 and 26.
These are the first reactions from opposition leaders that we are relaying, after N1 reported in its election blog that Aleksandar Vucic had conceded defeat. The percentages in this article are either the speakers’ own claims or the CeSID and Ipsos projection based on 96 percent of the sample, not final results.
What did Jovanovic say about his list’s result?
Jovanovic said that, based on the current sample, the list won 1.5 percent of the vote. The CeSID and Ipsos projection on 96 percent of the sample gives the Authentic Right 0.9 percent, so the two estimates differ. By that projection, the list is below the threshold.
He congratulated the Student List in these words:
“I congratulate the Student List, which won these elections and which will, in all likelihood, take over power and responsibility for running the country.”
He also congratulated citizens on the high turnout. According to Beta, he said that a high turnout should be the norm, and that people should not have to wait for “the killing of 16 people” in Novi Sad.
Why does Jovanovic see reason to celebrate?
Speaking to reporters, he described the other list’s victory as an occasion to celebrate. “Celebrate tonight, I think this is a day for celebration after all,” he said. He added: “It is good when a government that has lost its legitimacy disappears.”
He also said how he sees the future: “I believe the new government will run the country democratically, that there will be media pluralism, and that is where I see a chance for politics.” He thanked everyone who stood by the list and said he was proud of the members and supporters of the New Democratic Party of Serbia, the Monarchists and the others who backed them.
On his own position he spoke briefly but firmly. “We will return to the Assembly, do not doubt that,” he said. Then he added: “We are glad about this victory, we are glad about the change of regime, and we are glad about the contest that is about to begin.” He finished with this:
“From now on we are setting out on a fight to win power. Believe me, I am not joking at all, it will come to that.”
The New DSS Presidency meets on Tuesday, according to Beta, to decide whether the party continues with Jovanovic or without him.
What did Djilas and Lazovic say?
Dragan Djilas, president of the Freedom and Justice Party and top candidate on the “European Serbia” list, posted on X on Sunday evening:
“Sincere congratulations to the Student List on a magnificent victory! Congratulations to all of Serbia on the victory over the regime of Aleksandar Vucic! Serbia has chosen its future. I sincerely believe that this future lies in Europe.”
The list he leads stands at 0.3 percent in the CeSID and Ipsos projection and did not cross the threshold.
Radomir Lazovic, co-president of the Green-Left Front, told the Beta agency that this was a “victory for the citizens of Serbia and a great victory for the students”. He added:
“I congratulate these young people who sacrificed two years of their lives to bring victory to Serbia, so that all of us could dream of a different and better life.”
He also said he was “proud that the Green-Left Front made the maximum contribution to this, as far as it was possible”. He closed with his assessment of the campaign:
“Despite a huge campaign of repression, lies and media manipulation, the citizens of Serbia achieved what they had hoped for, and this is a grandiose victory, and I congratulate everyone who took part in it.”
What does the CeSID and Ipsos projection show?
According to the CeSID and Ipsos projection on 96 percent of the sample, the Student List and United Serbia crossed the threshold. The Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians and the Albanian Coalition win seats as national minority lists, three and two respectively. Below the threshold, by the same projection, are Dacic’s Stability Factor with 2.2 percent, the Authentic Right with 0.9 percent and European Serbia with 0.3 percent.
