Elections in Serbian

Administrative resource, compromising evidence and candidate of a parodist

In the presidential election, the Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Serbian progressive party (SPP) Alexander Vucich won the presidential election in Serbia. Having gained a record 55% of the vote, he left far behind his ten competitors.

Never before in the new Serbian history since the time of Slobodan Milosevich, the presidential elections have not passed on one round and have not given such a high result. The triumph of Vucich not only confirmed his position of the most popular politician, but also became an example of the massive use of the administrative resource in the election campaign.

On the eve of the presidential election, the SPP, which has most places in the people's buying up, was in a difficult situation. The current President Tomislav Nikolich was rapidly losing the rating - even the provocative sending of a train from Belgrade to the capital of Autonomous Kosovo - Provatin could not raise it. Most of the Serbs did not support the nationalist adventure, threatening to turn into an armed conflict. The reaction was sharply negative in Europe.

But SPP categorically did not want to give in to the post of head of state of the opposition. There was the only way out - Vuchich nominates his candidacy. For all public opinion polls, the prime minister confidently occupied the first line in popularity.

The very outcome of the election struggle was predetermined in advance. Vucich's media resources have many times exceeded competitors' capabilities. The television television was upset by the head of the Cabinet of Ministers - 67% of the time against an average of 8% of the main rivals, for example, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and the applicant for the post of UN Secretary General of the VUKU EREMICH.

The media controlled by the government regularly covered the "fruitful activity of the prime minister for the benefit of Serbia." The multi -meter portraits of Vucich decorated the walls of houses in residential quarters. The roads were laid by his billboards. Two days before the vote, the largest Serbian newspapers came out in the first lane: “Faster. Stronger. Better. Serbia, choose Vuchich! "

Vuchich fully used in his election campaign and what was completely inaccessible to other candidates. As the head of the government, he visited Berlin and Moscow, clearly demonstrating that he enjoys the support of the Angels Merkel and popular among the Serbian Russophiles of Vladimir Putin.

At the same time, for the German Chancellor, the Serbian politician was of interest as the real guarantor that Belgrade would not allow the repetition of the Balkan refugee traffic in the future.

The Kremlin, in turn, would like to see a potential ally in the person of Vuchich, who can be used as a counterweight to grow the influence of the United States and NATO in the Balkans.

An important role in the election campaign of Vucich played the thesis that it was with him that with the help of Moscow the re -equipment of the army began. As an achievement, the free transfer of six MiG-29 aircraft, thirty T-72 tanks and thirty BRDMs was presented. True, it is silent that all the equipment is used, and in order to bring it to a state of complete combat readiness, it is also necessary to invest considerable budgetary funds.

In addition, the Russian gift caused serious concerns in neighboring West Balkan countries. They saw in Belgrade to build up combat power to the threat of their national security. An alarming voices sounded from Bosnia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo. Croatia, taking advantage of her right of a member of the European Union, laid a veto on the negotiation process on Serbia entering the EU.

The presidential campaign was not without black PR. One of the opposition candidates was accused of murder in the past of a close friend, the other was charged with the death of the Serbian army. Vucich himself liberals criticized the abuse of official position, populism and a tendency to authoritarianism. Nationalists declared prime minister a traitor to national interests for the sake of Brussels.

The satirical notes in the political struggle were involved in the elections of a 25-year-old student and showman Lukan Maksimovich. Suddenly for many, he easily collected the necessary number of signatures for registration as a presidential candidate.

Having taken the pseudonym Lyubash Preletachevich-White (with a hint of politicians' hardening behavior and the desire to look honest in the eyes of voters), Lucan openly parodied the electoral process. He immediately declared himself the Messiah. Dressed in a snow -white white suit depicted simultaneously political and mafia bosses, said that after the victory he would steal and lie even more. He promised to build the sea so that Serbia would no longer be considered a land country.

On the Internet, Video with Lukan was very popular among young people. The forecasts have read the second place in the elections. As a result, a student-student, gathering almost 10% of the vote, became the third, ahead of even the famous radical nationalist Voislav Sheshel. The result says a lot: young voters, not believing in the sincerity of election promises, went to vote for him only in order to express a protest against traditional politicians.

International and local observers have no doubt that Alexander Vuchich, having replaced the real executive power to the president’s representative functions, will actually try to retain the levers of influence on the government and the party. It is assumed that at the post of prime minister he will nominate such a candidate that will be fully controlled by him. Thus, the decision -making center will move from the Cabinet of Ministers to the Presidential Palace.

Some Serbian political scientists believe that the premiere without attacks on the foundations of the Constitution managed to conduct a revolution in the country and take an important step towards establishing his own authoritarian regime.

The future political course of Vuchich clearly expressed himself in the evening of the voting day after summing up preliminary results: “The elections showed that the vast majority of Serbian citizens advocate the continuation of the reform course, for the continuation of the European path of Serbia while maintaining traditional friendly relations that we have with Russia and China.”

This unexpected Chinese curtsy seemed to emphasized that Belgrade was further ready to maneuver between the interests in the region from Brussels and Moscow, adding a new player in the person of Beijing. This is a significant detail, taking into account the recent successful visit to China, still current President Nikolich and the growing participation of Chinese business in the Serbian economy.