2008 Serbian parliamentary election

A pre-term parliamentary election will be held in the Republic of Serbia on 11 May 2008, barely a year after last parliamentary election.

Background

The Serbian government has passed through weeks of severe crisis after the unilateral declaration of independence of its southern province of Kosovo on 17 February 2008. Its stability, however, was also tested and questioned before, being comprised by two very different political currents. The independence was gradually recognized by the USA and numerous EU countries, leading relations with Serbia to a strain. Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica of the Democratic Party of Serbia offered in late February to the DS, which holds governmental majority, a restructuring of the governmental contract including an annex according to which Serbia can continue European exclusively with Kosovo as its integral part. The controversy was further heated up when Olli Rehn, the European Commissioner for enlargement of the European Union, offered to continue negotiations with Serbia. President Boris Tadić of the Democratic Party responded that European integrations of Serbia cannot be questioned by anyone or anything, and that since the province of Kosovo-Metohija is written into the constitution, meaning that the proposal would mean that the Constitution is being questioned.

After days of DS&G17+ utilized majority to outnumber the DSS-NS populist coalition, the Premier finally constated on 8 March 2008 on a press conference that the government has fallen. He scheduled an irregular session of the Serbian government for 10 March 2008, in which his proposal to issue a request to the President to dismiss the parliament and schedule pre-term parliamentary elections for 11 May 2008, the same as the local elections. In case that doesn't occur, he announced his imminent resignation. Subsequently, all parliamentary leaders save for Ivica Dačić of the Socialist Party of Serbia who called for forming a government of national unity and Dragan Marković Palma of United Serbia, supported his proposal. Hours later, the President confirmed he will dismiss the parliament and schedule it upon receiving the government's request, although unlike the PM he stated that there is no dispute in the government regarding Kosovo, but exclusively regarding European integrations. The dissolution took place on 13 March 2008.

Lists

European Coalition

President Boris Tadić has gathered a large pro-EU coalition around his Democratic Party and G17 Plus. On the list 166 candidates are from DS and 60 from G17+, among whom there is one seat for Oliver Ivanović's Serbian List for Kosovo-Metohija and another for a fraction of the Serbian Democratic Renewal Movement. The list also has 8 members from each the Sanjak Democratic Party, Serbian Renewal Movement and League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina. 23 seats are guaranteed for G17+ (of which 1 for SDPO and 1 for SLKM), 4 seats and a Ministry in the future government for both SDP and SPO and 3 seats for LSV. However, if the alliance wins over 100 seats, their seats will gradually increase. The list's name is For a European Serbia - Boris Tadic and its bearer is Dragoljub Mićunović.

DSS-NS

The coalition of the Prime Minister Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia and New Serbia will run again. 70% of the seats will go to DSS and 30% to NS; of the latter one seat will be for Vojislav Mihailović's branch of the Serbian Democratic Renewal Movement. It's campaign slogan is Support Serbia!.

SRS

The Serbian Radical Party will run alone.

SPS-PUPS-JS

The Socialist Party of Serbia and the Party of United Pensioners of Serbia have strengthened their links by forming a coalition, on which United Serbia and Movement of Veterans of Serbia will be present. The Serbian Strength Movement is negotiating with SPS. The Serbian Radical Party will run alone.

LDP

On the list of the Liberal Democratic Party the Social Democratic Union and the Christian Democratic Party of Serbia will be present.

Minorities

The Bosniac Democratic Party of Sanjak and the Party for Democratic Action are determined to go on the election as minority lists. The Hungarian Coalition of Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, Democratic Fellowship of Vojvodina Hungarians and Democratic Party of Vojvodina Hungarians of will run after the presidential elections success in an attempt to strengthen the Magyar minority's representation. The Roma Union of Serbia will run too.

Others

Goran Davidović of the National Engine Neo-Nazi movement announced the formation of a "National Serb Party" that will run at the election. Branislav Lečić's Movement "My Serbia" will run as well.

The list of likely coalitions is thus as follows:

• For a European Serbia – Boris Tadić (Democratic Party, Sanjak Democratic Party, League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina and G17 Plus with Serbian Renewal Movement and Serbian List for Kosovo and Metohija)
• DSS-NS - Dr Vojislav Koštunica
• Serbian Radical Party
• Liberal Democratic Party (including Social Democratic Union and Christian Democratic Party of Serbia)
• SPS-PUPS-JS — Socialist Party of Serbia and Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (including United Serbia and Movement of Veterans of Serbia)
• Movement "My Serbia"
• Bosniac Democratic Party of Sanjak (minority list)
• Party for Democratic Action (minority list)
• Hungarian Coalition (minority)
• Roma Union of Serbia (minority)

Possible government

SRS has declared post-electoral cooperation forming a government with DSS, which in turn didn't disregard this possibility, but stated that there will be no more cooperation with DS or G17+, on the allegation that they do not really want to protect Kosovo. NS excluded cooperation with G17+ and LSV, calling them "anti-state" parties who "had brought down the government twice", but also did not rule out a coalition with the SRS, and furthermore claimed that the DS had talked with the DSS about throwing G17+ out of the government and having it supported by the SPS. SPS stated it's ready to enter any future government.

Tadić stated that Koštunica would not be prime minister in a government containing the democratic forces.