Whose Slogan is Better - Students' or SNS': Political Scientist Explains the Differences

In the unfolding political landscape of Serbia, a keen analysis of campaign slogans reveals a strategic battle for public sentiment. Marko Vujić, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, offers a compelling perspective on the slogans "Students are winning" and the ruling Serbian Progressive Party's (SNS) "Serbia is winning," asserting that the students' message resonates more powerfully.

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It is certainly possible to say that the pre-election battle is already underway on the ground.

Vujić argues that the SNS, having been in a continuous state of campaigning for the past 14 years, is accustomed to dominating the political discourse. However, the emergence of the "Students are winning" slogan presents a more effective and motivating counter-narrative. Unlike slogans that focus on defeating an opponent, affirmative slogans like the students' highlight their own potential and success, creating a sense of possibility.

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The SNS is not used to having a competitor, and they are continuously in some kind of pre-election campaign, even though we don't have an election date.

Furthermore, Vujić critiques the SNS slogan for its persistent attempt to equate the party and its leader, Aleksandar Vučić, with the state itself. "Serbia is winning" is seen as a worn-out tactic that serves to reinforce this conflation, a strategy that Vujić believes is becoming increasingly ineffective after years of political marketing.

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It is even better than the slogan from 2000, 'It's over.' And why? Because, according to theory, affirmative slogans are always better than those that speak about the opponent.

From the perspective of the opposition, Vujić emphasizes the crucial need for internal cohesion. He suggests that the primary goal should be mutual non-aggression among anti-regime forces, a minimum requirement for any meaningful challenge to the SNS. While acknowledging the ruling party's adeptness at political maneuvering, Vujić expresses doubt about their ability to secure a victory in the upcoming parliamentary elections, even with the usual pressures and tactics employed.

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This equalization of him, his political structure with the state is continuous, so that slogan serves again for those purposes of equating the party and the state, which is inappropriate.