Uticaj rata u Ukrajini na osnovne linije političkih podela u Srbiji
The Impact of the War in Ukraine on Political Cleavages in Serbia: The War in Ukraine in the 2022 and 2023 Election Campaigns

Summary/Abstract: In this paper, we examine the impact of the war in Ukraine on Serbia’s party system during two electoral processes (2022 and 2023), primarily through the lens of political divisions and. Drawing on Deegan Krause’s (2007) concept of issue divides, we analyze how the key issues shaping the Serbian political landscape shifted during the war, as well as whether there have been changes to political actors’ positions and arguments. It appears that, despite its relevance to Serbia’s foreign policy position, the war did not significantly alter party positions, setting Serbia apart from most European countries. Our findings suggest that this topic further reinforced existing identity-based divisions. Unlike socialist and far-right parties, which addressed Russia’s invasion both during the 2022 and 2023 election campaigns, most candidates in the 2023 election sought to minimize its significance, which we explain through ideological and tactical reasons.

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