Serbia: Vučić claims rising youth support for SNS, experts skeptical

A debate is emerging in Serbia over the political allegiance of young voters, with President Aleksandar Vučić asserting a dramatic rise in support for his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) among this demographic. Vučić claimed that youth support for the SNS has jumped from 18% to 31% in the past year.

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Absolutely no one from the new generation would vote for them; their support is declining generation by generation, and it would fall even without the establishment of the student movement.

However, sociologists and academics are challenging these figures. Slobodan Cvejić, a sociologist and professor at the University of Belgrade, expressed skepticism, stating that such a surge is "impossible." He believes that SNS support among the youth is generally declining and that even without recent student protests, this generational trend would continue due to broader political socialization patterns.

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He probably has around 30 percent overall support. But among the youth, he doesn't have that much support. Given that 70 percent of pensioners vote for him, he can have between 10 and 15 percent among the youth, that's the ceiling.

Cvejić estimates that Vučić's overall support hovers around 30%, with a much lower percentage, perhaps 10-15%, coming from younger voters. He suggests that the president's support primarily comes from pensioners, who constitute about 70% of his base.

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Vučić did not manage to attract students, and this is a population that actually belongs to the generations that are the best representatives of the generation.

Čedomir Čupić, another sociologist and retired professor, echoed these doubts. He argued that Vučić has failed to attract students, a key segment of the younger generation. While acknowledging that some employed youth might express support due to job security pressures, he believes this is not genuine. Both experts agree that while statistical surveys can be misleading, upcoming elections will provide the most accurate measure of actual youth support for the SNS.

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Statistical data can be a big deception, because people are often inclined, even in surveys that are particularly conducted for him, to simply say that they accept the SNS, but we don't know their real opinion. This will be seen in the elections.