Serbia held local elections in a majority of its cities and municipalities (excluding the disputed territory of Kosovo) on 2 June 2024.
Background Initially, the Serbian government planned to hold a local election only for the City Assembly of Belgrade on 2 June, with the other local elections taking place later in the year. The Belgrade vote was required due to the city assembly's failure to constitute itself after the 2023 Belgrade City Assembly election, while the other elections were scheduled to take place in accordance with Serbia's regular local electoral cycle. Ana Brnabić, the president of the national assembly, contended that holding all local elections on 2 June would require a change in Serbia's law on local elections and would unfairly restrict the mandate of those elected in the last regular local election in 2020.Katarina Baletic, "Belgrade Faces June Repeat Poll, as Party Deal on Elections Fails", Balkan Insight, 3 April 2024, accessed 2 May 2024. Following extended controversy, however, the law was amended on 23 April and local elections were announced for various cities and municipalities on 26 April.
Electoral process With the exception of Belgrade, the cities and municipalities of Serbia that held off-year local elections in 2021, 2022, and 2023 participated in the 2024 vote. As several municipalities in Central Serbia held off-year elections in 2023, the overall number of jurisdictions holding local elections in 2024 was significantly lower than in the previous election cycle.
All local elections in Serbia are held under proportional representation. Mayors are not directly elected but are instead chosen by elected members of the local assemblies. The electoral threshold for assembly representation is three per cent (of all votes, not only of valid votes), although parties representing national minority communities are exempt from this requirement.
Parties Serbia's governing Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and its allies participated fully in the elections. The opposition parties were by contrast divided on their strategy. Among the parties of the Serbia Against Violence (SPN) coalition, the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), Serbia Centre (SRCE), and Together (Zajedno) announced a boycott in most jurisdictions, stating that no adequate guarantees were provided that the elections would be free and fair and that there was insufficient time for the situation to change.
As against this, the People's Movement of Serbia (NPS), the Green–Left Front (ZLF), the Movement of Free Citizens (PSG), Ecological Uprising (EU), and the New Face of Serbia (NLS) participated in the vote. Although the Democratic Party (DS) voted in favour of a boycott, it also decided to adopt the position of the majority of the opposition parties, and on that basis it participated in the election as well. Outside the SPN coalition, the parties of the National Democratic Alliance (NADA) alliance chose to boycott the elections in most jurisdictions."Raspisani lokalni izbori u Srbiji za 2. jun", Radio Slobodna Evropa, 26 April 2024, accessed 2 May 2024.Vuk Jeremić, "The split worth a million votes: Participation in the elections divided 'Serbia against violence'", NIN, 25 April 2024, accessed 2 May 2024. The author of this article is not the politician Vuk Jeremić but a journalist of the same name. Other opposition parties, including Dveri, chose to participate."Ko će od opozicije izaći na lokalne izbore za sada?", Danas, 24 April 2024, accessed 2 May 2024.
On 26 April 2024, SSP leader Dragan Đilas said that although his party would be boycotting the election in most jurisdictions, it would not discourage citizens from voting."Đilas (SSP): Nećemo građane pozivati na bojkot izbora", Beta, 26 April 2024, accessed 2 May 2024.
Incidents Opposition parties accused the SNS of organising polling stations, leading to clashes in Belgrade and Novi Sad as opposition activists tried to enter suspected SNS venues. Ana Brnabić said on X social media platform that the SNS had set up “call centers” to contact supporters and urge them to vote. The Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability, a non-governmental organisation, recorded incidents of organized voting, vote-buying, violations of vote secrecy, and the presence of unauthorized persons at polling stations, which prompted them to file criminal charges.
Results The Serbian Progressive Party's alliance won the elections in most jurisdictions. In the election for the Belgrade city assembly, the SNS alliance won a majority of seats,"Lokalni i beogradski izbori: U Nišu i SNS i opozicija proglasili pobedu, u Beogradu SNS sama može da formira vlast", Danas, 2 June 2024, accessed 2 June 2024. followed by the opposition Kreni Promeni (Go-Change).
Opposition parties have charged that the Serbian Progressive Party falsified the results in Niš and New Belgrade in order to claim a narrow majority of seats in both jurisdictions.See for instance "Kreni-Promeni pojasnio šta znači 'povlačenje mandata' koje su danas najavili", Danas, 6 June 2024, accessed 6 June 2024.
Belgrade City of Belgrade
Municipalities of Belgrade Local elections were held in all seventeen of Belgrade's municipalities. The Progressive Party and its allies won the elections all municipalities except Stari Grad and Vračar, which were won by the parties of the Serbia Against Violence opposition coalition. Ultimately, the Progressive-led alliance formed government in every municipality.
Barajevo Results of the election for the municipal assembly of Barajevo:
Twenty of the twenty-five candidates elected on the Barajevo Tomorrow were endorsed by Serbian Progressive Party, two by the Socialist Party of Serbia, and one each by the Movement of Socialists, the Serbian Party Oathkeepers, and the Serbian Radical Party.ИЗБОРНА ЛИСТА КАНДИДАТА ЗА ОДБОРНИКЕ СКУПШТИНЕ ГРАДСКЕ ОПШТИНЕ БАРАЈЕВО ЗА ИЗБОРЕ РАСПИСАНЕ ЗА 2. ЈУН 2024. ГОДИНЕ (Александар Вучић - Барајево Сутра), Local Election 2 June 2024, Barajevo City Municipality Election Commission, accessed 7 August 2024. This assumes that the candidate identified as having been endorsed by the non-existent "SN" was actually endorsed by the Progressives (SNS).
Of the six candidates elected on the We Choose Barajevo list, two each were endorsed by the Green–Left Front and the New Face of Serbia, and one each by the Democratic Party and the People's Movement of Serbia.ИЗБОРНА ЛИСТА КОАЛИЦИЈА БИРАМО БАРАЈЕВО, Local Election 2 June 2024, Barajevo City Municipality Election Commission, accessed 7 August 2024.
Bratoljub Stanisavljević, who was elected with an endorsement from the Progressives, was chosen as the municipality's mayor on 10 July 2024."Izabrano Novo Opštinsko Rukovodstvo – Bratoljub Stanisljević Predsednik Opštine", Municipality of Barajevo, 10 July 2024, accessed 7 August 2024.
Čukarica Results of the election for the municipal assembly of Čukarica:
Twenty-two of the twenty-six candidates elected on the Čukarica Tomorrow list were endorsed by Serbian Progressive Party, two by the Socialist Party of Serbia, and one each by the Serbian Party Oathkeepers and the Serbian Radical Party. Parliamentarian Vladimir Orlić, a vice-president of the Progressive Party, was elected from the lead position on the list, and former parliamentarian Nikola Dragićević of the Oathkeepers appeared in the forty-fifth and final position.ИЗБОРНА ЛИСТА БР. 1 АЛЕКСАНДАР ВУЧИЋ - ЧУКАРИЦА СУТРА, Local Election 2 June 2024, Čukarica City Municipality Election Commission, accessed 7 August 2024. Orlić resigned his seat on 10 July 2024, the day the new assembly was established.Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 68 Number 102 (15 July 2024), p. 15. Dragićević will have the right to enter the assembly if the elected member of the Oathkeepers leaves for any reason.
Six of the fifteen candidates elected on the We Choose Čukarica list were endorsed by the Green–Left Front, four by the People's Movement of Serbia, three by the Democratic Party, and one each by the Movement of Free Citizens and the New Face of Serbia.ИЗБОРНА ЛИСТА БР. 3 БИРАМО ЧУКАРИЦУ – СТЕВАН БАЊАЦ (ЗЕЛЕНО - ЛЕВИ ФРОНТ, НЕ ДАВИМО БЕОГРАД, НАРОДНИ ПОКРЕТ СРБИЈЕ, ДЕМОКРАТСКА СТРАНКА, ЕКОЛОШКИ УСТАНАК - ЋУТА, ПОКРЕТ СЛОБОДНИХ ГРАЂАНА, НОВО ЛИЦЕ СРБИЈЕ), Local Election 2 June 2024, Čukarica City Municipality Election Commission, accessed 7 August 2024.
Nikola Aritonović of the Serbian Progressive Party was chosen as mayor of the municipality on 10 July 2024."ARITONOVIĆ VODI ČUKARICU: Održana konstitutivna sednica Skupštine opštine Čukarica, potvrđeno 45 mandata", Novosti, 10 July 2024, accessed 7 August 2024.Председник, Municipality of Čukarica, accessed 7 August 2024.
Grocka Results of the election for the municipal assembly of Grocka:
Twenty-one of the twenty-seven candidates elected on the Grocka Tomorrow list were endorsed by Serbian Progressive Party, three by the Socialist Party of Serbia, two by the Serbian Party Oathkeepers, and one by the Independent Serbian Party.ИЗБОРНА ЛИСТА АЛЕКСАНДАР ВУЧИЋ - ГРОЦКА СУТРА, Local Election 2 June 2024, Grocka City Municipality Election Commission, accessed 7 August 2024.
Of the five candidates elected on the We Choose Grocka list, two each were endorsed by the Democratic Party and the People's Movement of Serbia and one by the Movement of Free Citizens.БИРАМО ГРОЦКУ – НЕМАЊА ТОДОРОВИЋ (ЗЕЛЕНО – ЛЕВИ ФРОНТ, НЕ ДАВИМО БЕОГРАД, НАРОДНИ ПОКРЕТ СРБИЈЕ, ДЕМОКРАТСКА СТРАНКА, ЕКОЛОШКИ УСТАНАК – ЋУТА, ПОКРЕТ СЛОБОДНИХ ГРАЂАНА, НОВО ЛИЦЕ СРБИЈЕ), Local Election 2 June 2024, Grocka City Municipality Election Commission, accessed 7 August 2024.
Saša Čaprić of the Serbian Progressive Party was chosen as mayor of the municipality on 9 July 2024."IZABRANO NOVO RUKOVODSTVO GRADSKE OPŠTINE GROCKA", Municipality of Grocka, 10 July 2024, accessed 8 August 2024.
Lazarevac Results of the election for the municipal assembly of Lazarevac:
Twenty-seven of the thirty-seven candidates elected on the Lazarevac Tomorrow list were endorsed by Serbian Progressive Party, four by the Socialist Party of Serbia, three by the Serbian Party Oathkeepers, and one each by Healthy Serbia, the Movement of Socialists, and the Serbian Radical Party.ИЗБОРНА ЛИСТА АЛЕКСАНДАР ВУЧИЋ - ЛАЗАРЕВАЦ СУТРА, Local Election 2 June 2024, Lazarevac City Municipality Election Commission.
Three of the seven candidates elected on the We Choose Lazarevac list were endorsed by the Democratic Party, two by the People's Movement of Serbia, and one each by the Movement of Free Citizens and the New Face of Serbia.ИЗБОРНА ЛИСТА - БИРАМО ЛАЗАРЕВАЦ, Local Election 2 June 2024, Lazarevac City Municipality Election Commission.
Tomislav Rikanović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor on 10 July 2024.Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 68 Number 106 (25 July 2024), p. 15.
Mladenovac Results of the election for the municipal assembly of Mladenovac:
Thirty-two of the thirty-eight candidates elected on the Mladenovac Tomorrow list were endorsed by Serbian Progressive Party, three by the Socialist Party of Serbia, and one each by the Serbian Party Oathkeepers, the Serbian Radical Party, and United Serbia.ИЗБОРНА ЛИСТА БР. 1 КАНДИДАТА ЗА ОДБОРНИКЕ СКУПШТИНЕ ГРАДСКЕ ОПШТИНЕ МЛАДЕНОВАЦ - КОАЛИЦИЈА: АЛЕКСАНДАР ВУЧИЋ-МЛАДЕНОВАЦ СУТРА, Local Election 2 June 2024, Mladenovac City Municipality Election Commission, accessed 10 August 2024.
The candidates elected on the Agreement for Mladenovac list did not have specific party endorsements.ИЗБОРНА ЛИСТА БР.2 КАНДИДАТА ЗА ОДБОРНИКЕ СКУПШТИНЕ ГРАДСКЕ ОПШТИНЕ МЛАДЕНОВАЦ - ДОГОВОР ЗА МЛАДЕНОВАЦ, Local Election 2 June 2024, Mladenovac City Municipality Election Commission, accessed 10 August 2024.