Local Elections in Serbia: "The Opposition Should Not Expect Too Much; Changes Cannot Happen Quickly"

Speaking on the program Sinteza, the PR expert emphasized that local elections are not won through a campaign that lasts only one month.

"A campaign for local elections effectively lasts four years. Citizens of the municipalities voting on March 29 already know how their local authorities have communicated with them, how open they have been to cooperation, and how much they have delivered on their initiatives. They are not interested in national issues, but in local ones," Vujovic pointed out.

According to him, citizens tend to approach information presented during election campaigns with a degree of skepticism, as their views have largely already been formed.

"I would note that we live in a conservative communication system, where opinions do not change easily. Therefore, my message to the anti-government bloc is: do not expect too much, because major changes cannot happen so quickly," he stressed.

"Most Parties Do Not Handle PR Properly"

Vujovic also observed that most political parties in the region do not manage public relations effectively.

"It is interesting to observe which parties dominate public communication and which merely react. Those that dominate are certainly at an advantage. However, no party properly identifies its core values and potential. In practice, everything depends on the party leader to conceptualize and drive these efforts," he assessed.

Vujovic added that it suits the ruling party in Serbia, the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), that its strategy is centered around its leader.

"Everything is embodied in the leader, with whom the SNS has become fully personalized," he said.

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According to Vujovic, the SNS operates through a model of one-way propaganda, while the student-led anti-government bloc relies on a two-way, symmetrical dialogue model.

"They shape awareness and influence those they care about reaching. On the other hand, the SNS leader communicates very cautiously using terms like stability and security, as these are crucial in times of crisis," the PR expert concluded.

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