The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), along with its current partners United Serbia and Green Serbia, could expand its pre-election coalition because many options on the political scene are open to discussing it, but under certain conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, according to our unofficial information, some Socialists fear that if SPS passes the electoral threshold, its partners could subsequently be more inclined toward SNS than toward them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As recently reported, SPS has decided to contest the upcoming elections independently, that is, together with its long-standing allies JS and ZS. Regardless of this, realignments among the parties are still underway and talks are taking place on several fronts, which also includes the Socialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Branimir Nestorovi\u0107, leader of the We Are the People’s Strength party, told Danas that there is room for cooperation, but only on the condition that SPS changes its leadership and leaves its coalition with SNS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 I mean Ru\u017ei\u0107 taking over SPS. I don’t think that is realistic and I think this will be the end for them. They are at around three percent support, because their membership does not like SNS and that is their basic problem, Nestorovi\u0107 says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As he adds, according to unofficial polls he has seen, SPS’s potential is around eight percent, but they must run in the elections on their own and with changed leadership. He says they had contact with Ru\u017ei\u0107 (Branko Ru\u017ei\u0107, SPS vice president, ed.) and some others last year, but he believes changes in the party are not realistic because the Socialists like doing nothing, being on the SNS list and getting certain positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked whether his movement could help the Socialists pass the electoral threshold, he repeats that he cannot work with Da\u010di\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 He is spent, he would only harm us, that is, take away from us. As much as we would help them, they would hurt us. Our membership isn’t exactly fond of such combinations. They know what the conditions are and I don’t think they can fulfill them. We had some semi-official contacts, but while that leadership remains\u2026 Nestorovi\u0107 explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He estimates that SPS will run in the elections on its own, but that it will perform poorly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 They are already falling apart. When a party does not run in elections, it falls apart. Because elections hold a party together. It is a moment of mobilization. If you don’t run in elections, then what is the party for? Nestorovi\u0107 asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u017deljko Veselinovi\u0107, representative of the Workers’ Party, told Danas that SPS is ideologically closest to the Workers’ Party and that, unfortunately, there has never been an ideological left-wing coalition in Serbia, adding that something similar could be interesting because the right wing has been full of various highly questionable parties and coalitions for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 Officially, we have not spoken, unofficially, yes. There is certainly mutual interest in cooperation. Whether talks will take place depends mostly on SPS and its decision on whether it will join SNS on a list or run independently. If they run independently, we are ready for a serious agreement that, on our side, would mean adopting the Labor Law proposal that we presented and that would best protect Serbian workers. That would be our only condition, Veselinovi\u0107 says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n