The unexpected victory over Aleksandar Vučić has placed Serbia’s Student List before a new challenge: forming the next government.
Among the candidates being mentioned for senior posts is Dejan Soskic, a former governor of the central bank who has clashed with the Serbian government.
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Following the Student List’s success in the parliamentary elections, which dealt Aleksandar Vučić a major blow, Soskic is being seen as one of the potential key figures in the new executive.
Shortly before the final results were announced, the list’s candidates met at their headquarters in Belgrade for a press conference. Soskic noticed that many of them, like him, were tall and joked that they could form a good basketball team.
Celebrations had begun outside the building, but the 59-year-old remained inside to answer journalists’ questions about Serbia’s challenges. He described the result as a victory for democracy and congratulated the students for bringing democratic forces and civil society together in pursuit of change.
“This was a festival of democracy,” Soskic said, noting that the students had united different social groups seeking a new direction for Serbia.
Who is Dejan Soskic?
An experienced economist and academic, Soskic could take on an important role in the new government. He was appointed head of the National Bank of Serbia in 2010, before Vučić came to power.
Two years later, Soskic left office in protest against legal changes introduced by the new government. In his view, they undermined the central bank’s independence; in his resignation letter, he called the changes a “bad law.”
He studied at the University of Belgrade, graduating in 1989 and being named student of the year. Later, as a Fulbright scholar, he taught banking and finance in the United States, Austria and Italy before taking on leadership roles in Serbia.
His experience in state institutions and opposition to political interference in the central bank’s independence make Soskic a potential candidate for important responsibilities in the new administration.
One of the key issues for the next government, alongside political change in Belgrade, will be determining Serbia’s international course and its relations with the European Union, Russia and Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the prospect of cooperation with the new leaders. She said the EU was ready to help with reforms concerning the rule of law, media freedom, the fight against corruption and the strengthening of democratic institutions.
Soskic has said that the Student List’s goals are aligned with the values of the European Union. In his view, Serbia can become a sincere partner in efforts to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
He has not, however, taken a final position on EU membership. Soskic has stressed that the issue could be put to citizens in a referendum.
The possible stance of the new cabinet toward Russia is even less clear. The Student List has announced that it does not support sanctions against Moscow, while Soskic has expressed reservations about the support Vladimir Putin gave Vučić during the elections.
When asked about policies toward Russia and Ukraine, he referred to respect for international law and the importance of open discussions, but did not explain what changes the new government might undertake.
The lack of a clear position leaves an important question hanging for European partners: will political change in Serbia also bring a new and clearly defined foreign-policy orientation?
Soskic and the Student List must now turn their electoral victory into a concrete governing plan. After years of Vučić’s political dominance, they must not only change the country’s course but also show that they can create more independent institutions and a better-functioning democracy.
