While this text is being written, members of Serbia against violence they are valid whether or not he will participate in the unified Belgrade and local elections on June 2. According to some indications, the majority is in favor - after all, this was the original and key demand of this coalition - so it is expected that they will take the minority with them. Otherwise, it will be the end of Serbia against violence.
The genie of boycott was previously let out of the bottle lightly and now it is not easy to bring it back. The time has passed, the damage has been done: the opposition's campaign is significantly delayed, leaders and party bodies are still waiting for agreements on quotas and candidates, and the electorate is divided into supporters and opponents of going to the elections.
Is there time for remediation? Certainly, but only if there is an awareness that not even a lost second can be made up. "Let the people be clear": the problem is not in the fight for minimal electoral conditions, but in the failure of the opposition to establish the communication and mobilization of supporters necessary to go to the polls. The phrases "there will be no election" or "active boycott" are good for fiddles in like-minded social media groups, but they are not serious politics.
Optimists believe that Vučić's acceptance of merging Belgrade and local elections is the result of opposition pressure after the European Parliament Resolution and ODIHR recommendations. So, the regime is still weakened. There is certainly some truth to this school of thought. Just - is there any reason to beat your chest?
Namely, pessimists believe that it was Vučić's plan from the very beginning. In short: deception, keeping in constant tension and poisoning relations within the opposition in order to tell it in stoppage time - when you are so stuck, there are Belgrade and local elections on the same day.
Thus he achieved at least two goals. The first - he put his own campaign under the roof without hindrance, only the facade and interior work are waiting for him. The second - it would be difficult for the citizens, let alone the European Union, to understand the calls for a boycott after the elections on June 2. In truth, they had not shown any enthusiasm for such a thing before.
After all, the opposition is in a difficult situation. But she is not hopeless if you look into her eyes, which separate the misguided from the real politicians. This means that there must be nothing left of the famous referendum atmosphere and high expectations. What and how something can turn out is a fierce fight for every vote in every town and village, and when it comes to Belgrade - equally in Vračar and Kaluđerica.
Even small victories against the progressive regime can turn into big ones. Why? Because Vučić's pyramid of power does not tolerate cracks. Once they start spreading - they are unstoppable.
