Dragan Djilas, leader of the Freedom and Justice Party, anticipates that the Serbia Against Violence list will emerge as the largest in Belgrade, provided the voter turnout mirrors last years.

“They lost the elections in Belgrade last time. This time, I believe the margin in favor of the opposition will be even greater, allowing for the formation of a government in Belgrade without major issues,” Djilas stated on the Pola sata Demostata show.

He reiterates that the SNS will also lose the national elections if voter turnout on December 17th exceeds the previous elections by 5%.

“Last time, 58.7% of the electoral roll, amounting to 3.8 million, voted. This number needs to exceed four million. This is because fewer voters will support the ruling parties this time, given the tragedies, rampant crime, and price hikes over the past 18 months, which are evident to everyone. If more people vote, I am certain that the SNS and SPS will not have enough support to form a government,” Djilas explained.

In such a scenario, the Serbia Against Violence list proposes the establishment of a technical government tasked with combating crime and corruption over 9 to 12 months, alongside a functional judiciary and police force, curbing price surges, investing in healthcare and education, and liberating the media. This would pave the way for free elections within 12 months, where citizens could vote informedly, free from coercion and bribery.

“In that situation, the SNS would be at about twenty percent,” Djilas assesses.

He also mentions that the SNS would currently have between 25 to 27 percent of public support, were it not for media manipulations, voter pressure, and vote buying.

Djilas believes that all voters of opposition lists are voting for a change of government, though he is unsure if this sentiment is shared by all politicians representing the opposition.

"Whether all politicians are for the change of government or if some of them are Trojans in this story, its not for me to say. Time will show," says Djilas.

He believes that those opposition politicians who do not support the idea of a technical government are effectively in favor of the current government continuing its rule, possibly with some of them joining it.

"Anyone who hasn’t declared support for the technical government we stand behind, I ask – are they ready to fight crime and corruption, to stop the soaring prices, to stop indebting the country, to invest in education and healthcare, to ensure higher salaries for teachers, professors, doctors, nurses, social institutions, and to free the media," Djilas remarked.

Highlighting that some parties see the French-German agreement as a problem, Djilas notes that not everyone in the Serbia Against Violence coalition agrees on the agreement, but all believe that Serbia cannot recognize Kosovo, cannot consent to its entry into the UN, and that the agreement should be discussed in parliament and reviewed by the Constitutional Court.

“We don’t have a unified decision on what to do with the fact that Vu?i? accepted this agreement on behalf of the state of Serbia. Rejecting its implementation will have consequences. Isn’t it logical for elected representatives of the people in free elections to express their opinions on whether they want to suffer the consequences of rejection, to exit this story somehow, or is there a chance to improve what Vu?i? accepted to our benefit?” Djilas said.

Mentioning that Miloš Jovanovi?, leader of the New DSS, has accepted the idea of a technical government, Djilas adds:

“Do you really think Milica Stamenkovski and Bosko Obradovic went to Skopje, reached the hotel and hall, and said they wanted to meet with Lavrov and Zakharova, or was it someone from the central government in Belgrade who facilitated a meeting with Zakharova and a photo with Lavrov? Im not saying I think they will be parties that will enter the government with Vu?i? tomorrow, Im saying this happened, so everyone can conclude what will happen,” said Djilas.

Asked if the opposition he represents would cooperate with SPS and Ivica Da?i?, if it was the only way to form a government without SNS, Djilas says there is no cooperation with those who directly take Serbia back to the nineties, years of isolation, wars, expelling dissenters.

“Dacic said – only over his dead body. He doesnt need to worry about his life, nor to shake hands with anyone. He gave his hand to Vu?i? 11 years ago, that marriage of convenience lasts, costs Serbia a lot, but Da?i? will also bear responsibility,” Djilas stated.

He says Serbia Against Violence can cooperate with all organizations voted for by people who want a change of government.

He states that although he believes Belgrade will turn out in large numbers for the elections and that it will be enough, in Belgrade, the SSPs stance is to offer all opposition parties wanting a different development for the city to enter a stable coalition.

“We offer this at the level of the technical government for Serbia as well,” he said.

Asked about his vision for Serbia after the elections and the first steps, especially regarding inflation and living standards, Djilas says Serbia can be different in six months, with changes in the economy, investing in domestic companies, changing the healthcare financing model, reducing salary taxes, limiting the banking sector, and changing the tax administration and inspection relationships.

“We will analyze a hundred products and determine who is profiting from peoples suffering,” Djilas stated.

The police and judiciary will be led by people like officers Milenkovi? and Mitic, with new laws on the prosecution and the origin of assets, Djilas announces.

“It seems impossible and fairy-tale like, but I didn’t endure all this for us to do things differently tomorrow. I want to be able to look everyone in the eye after the change of government. It might not be ideal, but it will be completely different from today. If it’s not visible in six months, if pensions aren’t restored, if those who have been working on temporary contracts for four-five years haven’t been given permanent jobs, I will no longer engage in politics,” he said.

Djilas notes that the Serbia Against Violence list has come forward with concrete solutions and ideas for the Serbian people.

He says the idea of returning the stolen part of pensions to retirees is not populism or an election promise, but a real possibility, as there is money in the budget for it.

“I believe that the vast majority of people think that Serbia is not going in the right direction, that things are not happening as they should, that the majority of Serbia will show this in these elections,” said Djilas.

Speaking of the election campaign, Djilas says it does not exist in Serbia, as a real campaign would mean equal conditions for everyone and the possibility for messages to reach every person, so citizens can make an informed decision based on that.

"Here, as soon as the elections end, the campaign for the next elections starts the very next day. In the end, during the 45 days [of official campaign period], you see all the rules and regulations being broken, the president appearing on television channels with national frequency every day, live broadcasts of conferences and conventions," Djilas pointed out.

He mentions that the pressure on people on the ground is tremendous, and theres a significant fear among citizens, but Serbia is changing nonetheless, which is evident at every step.

“I think we’ve succeeded with what we offer, which is decency, normality, stopping the soaring prices, fighting corruption. We’ve managed to reach a significant number of people, which will be evident in the election results,” said Djilas.

Demostat’s analyses show that the governments model involves using tabloids, analysts, and officials to demonize the main opposition leaders on a personal level, a tactic also employed against Zoran ?in?i? in the nineties, when he was deliberately vilified as a traitor.

For the past ten years, Djilas has also been continuously subjected to a similar campaign.

Living with such treatment isnt great, Djilas admits, but he feels honored and privileged to have been the Mayor of Belgrade, and the achievements from his tenure are something that cannot be taken from him. He cites the in-vitro fertilization program initiated during his mayorship as an example.

Asked about the campaign led by Aleksandar Vucic from the position of the President of the State, Djilas questions what else Vucic could do and whether there is anyone else to hand over the task to.

“Vu?i? convinces us that what he says is the real picture. Its like Serbian football – we invest in stadiums, buy players, announce that we will create a miracle, but when we step onto the European scene, where things are visible, we can’t win. All the time, we face constant lies,” Djilas said.

Asked if the SNS government has done anything positive in 11 years, Djilas acknowledged publicly congratulating the arrival of the German company ZDF, stating it’s good that hospitals are being built, but bad that investment in doctors who are leaving the country is lacking. It’s good that roads are being built, but bad that they’re being paid for at three times the price.

“You’ve been in power for 11 years; you must have done something right. But, unfortunately, the situation in society, the atmosphere of hatred, tension, economic devastation, the destruction of the judiciary, the non-existence of a legal state, people leaving, the state of healthcare and education, agriculture... there’s not much that can be said to be good,” said Djilas.

When asked what citizens most complain about during campaign interactions, Djilas says they primarily ask – "will you finally defeat them?"

“They complain about everything, mostly about the rising prices, local bullies close to SNS living a hundred times better than before, the state of healthcare, waiting lists, the need for money to get treated, connections being necessary but not sufficient for deserved assistance, the state of education. There’s nothing they don’t complain about,” said Djilas.

Regarding the Proglas initiative, Djilas says that all of Serbia, not just the opposition, owes gratitude to these people.

“They are, in my opinion, heroes,” said Djilas.

He added that the organizers of the Proglas initiative are people without political ambitions but are concerned about the future because they love this country and its citizens. Despite knowing that in Serbia, anyone criticizing the regime in any way faces consequences such as their children being thrown out of kindergartens, car burnings, blackmail, and layoffs, they still speak about the situation in Serbia and call on citizens to vote.

Djilas said that the power of Aleksandar Vu?i?s government does not rest on those who have a salary of 40,000 dinars and are coerced to vote for SNS, but rather on public figures who have signed support for SNS. These people, he notes, are well aware of the living conditions in Serbia but support SNS for their own benefit.

Djilas urges everyone to vote on December 17th, to have the opportunity to vote as they truly wish, and then to wake up to a better Serbia on December 18th.

“If people agree to turn out, we will all wake up in a much better country, both those who vote for us and those who vote for SNS. And those few per mille, percentages, who directly benefit from SNS, will wake up in a country that will be much worse for them,” concluded Djilas.