Serbia has "extreme multi-party system"

Serbia has "extreme multi-party system"

This type of extreme multipartism is not unusual in Serbia. After the voting that took place in May 2012, 250 MPs came from as many as 45 different parties and other political groups.

CeSID's Đorđe Vuković explains that smaller parties and movements are "always gravitationally bound to bigger ones," and see them as a way to enter parliament.

"On the other hand, the leading parties also find it useful to have as many others gather around them, because that sends a message to voters that they have broad support."

This time, the Serb Progressives (SNS) are in a pre-election coalition with five other parties - the SDPS led by Rasim Ljajić, New Serbia (NS), the SPO and the DHSS, and the Movement of Socialists.

The Democrats (DS) have allied themselves with the New Party, the Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina, the Rich Serbia and the Sloga trade unions.

Former DS leader Boris Tadić and his New Democratic Party (NDS) also have a wide front, that includes Together for Serbia, Together for Vojvodina, the Democratic Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, the Greens, and the Democratic Left of the Roma, with the support of the Croatian Independent List, and the Slovak Party.

The Liberal Democrats (LDP) are going to these elections along with Žarko Korać's SDU and Muamer Zukorlić's BDZS, while they are supported by the ASNS union.

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) will be competing independently, although Saša Dujović from the Movement of Veterans has joined their list. The Serb Radicals (SRS) are supported by Mladen Obradović and Ivan Ivanović of the movements Obraz and Naši.

The United Regions of Serbia (URS) and the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), as well as Sulejman Uglanin's SDA and the Dveri Movement have not formed any coalitions ahead of the elections.

The List of National Communities, headed by Elmir Elfić, will include five Bosniak and Hungarian parties.

Former Economy Minister Saša Radulović and Nikola Tulimirović, of the None of the Above Answers (NOPO), are also expected to submit their lists in the coming days.

Serbia has a total of 98 registered political parties, but over half of them will not be taking part in the March elections.