CeSID: Progressives catching DS

These figures are pretty stunning and election results have surprised both SNS, SRS and DS.

In short nobody expected SNS support to improve and improve so quickly. What we have is SRS abandoning their former party in huge numbers. In an election I think some of these supporters will return to the SRS fold but the dye is cast. Politically speaking Seselj made a catasrophic mistake in alienating former key figures in SRS by not relaxing his diktat from the Hague. That can be said for certain now.

Now everybody is in a dilema what to do and with whom. Some in DS advise that the proposed link up with SNS be brought forward as the plan was to do a deal in the election after next. Others in DS are angry that no party heavy weights got involved in campaigning for Belgrade municipalities leading to a low turnout and unsatisfactory result.

SRS are devestated but have no options considering they tied their mast to Seselj. Its like being on the Titanic and knowing that you are headed for the rocks having already watched a proportion of the crew abandon ship for the lifeboats. But the captian who is in the cells below deck orders the ship onward...

I don't know bganon, I think the SNS is living up to most expectations for a modern populist party. I do agree with you that the increasing rhetoric over Seselj alienated a number of would-be supporters to jump ship with Toma, but the SRS under Nikolic was clearly moving towards the populist corner for a while. It's only natural that its ability to attract a larger spread of people would have forced the SRS to either reform itself entirely, or a schism would have happened.

I do see that DS and SNS are now forming two main political core parties, with DSS, NS, G17, LDP and others forming the various pocket change that's needed to get a majority. Still, it's a good sign that politics is maturing into a small number of easily identifiable parties that are not defined by the charisma of one individual leader. The old saying "two Serbs, three parties" was beginning to get a little ridiculous :)

Keep in mind this here is a 6% difference from a party formed 7 months ago and a large coalition from parties that have been around for 5 years+ from liberals, socialists, conservatives and who ever.

It's about time, Nikolic is a great politician and a great leader. Keep in mind however, it's not about single party results, it takes an entire coalition. The SRS were the single most popular party in Serbia for 8+ years, ironically led by Nikolic.

However the Radicals are the past and it is now Toma's time.

These figures are pretty stunning and election results have surprised both SNS, SRS and DS.

In short nobody expected SNS support to improve and improve so quickly. What we have is SRS abandoning their former party in huge numbers. In an election I think some of these supporters will return to the SRS fold but the dye is cast. Politically speaking Seselj made a catasrophic mistake in alienating former key figures in SRS by not relaxing his diktat from the Hague. That can be said for certain now.

Now everybody is in a dilema what to do and with whom. Some in DS advise that the proposed link up with SNS be brought forward as the plan was to do a deal in the election after next. Others in DS are angry that no party heavy weights got involved in campaigning for Belgrade municipalities leading to a low turnout and unsatisfactory result.

SRS are devestated but have no options considering they tied their mast to Seselj. Its like being on the Titanic and knowing that you are headed for the rocks having already watched a proportion of the crew abandon ship for the lifeboats. But the captian who is in the cells below deck orders the ship onward...

I don't know bganon, I think the SNS is living up to most expectations for a modern populist party. I do agree with you that the increasing rhetoric over Seselj alienated a number of would-be supporters to jump ship with Toma, but the SRS under Nikolic was clearly moving towards the populist corner for a while. It's only natural that its ability to attract a larger spread of people would have forced the SRS to either reform itself entirely, or a schism would have happened.

I do see that DS and SNS are now forming two main political core parties, with DSS, NS, G17, LDP and others forming the various pocket change that's needed to get a majority. Still, it's a good sign that politics is maturing into a small number of easily identifiable parties that are not defined by the charisma of one individual leader. The old saying "two Serbs, three parties" was beginning to get a little ridiculous :)

Keep in mind this here is a 6% difference from a party formed 7 months ago and a large coalition from parties that have been around for 5 years+ from liberals, socialists, conservatives and who ever.

It's about time, Nikolic is a great politician and a great leader. Keep in mind however, it's not about single party results, it takes an entire coalition. The SRS were the single most popular party in Serbia for 8+ years, ironically led by Nikolic.

However the Radicals are the past and it is now Toma's time.