Serbian Opposition Hunts For Votes On the Net

Facing tough challenges in the forthcoming early elections, including poor media exposure and lack of funds, the opposition parties are turning to the Internet in a quest for voters.

Bojan Klacar, director of the Center for Free Elections and Democracy, CESID, told BIRN that no party can avoid social media now, although television remains the most influential media.

"In 2016, everyone who want to be taken seriously must have an Internet campaign, although traditional media like TV remains dominant in an old nation like ours," Klacar said.

"However, the so-called Generation Y is becoming more important, and they do not care about the traditional media so much," Klacar added.

Social media users are constantly on the rise in Serbia. In 2015, according to the national Institute for Statistics, almost 64 per cent of households had Internet access, which is an increase of 8 per cent in relation to 2013.

Facebook data from 2013 show the highest percentage of Facebook users in the Balkans is in Serbia. Serbia had more than 3.5 million users which is almost 49 per cent of all those in the Balkan countries.

The political movement "Enough is enough - Sasa Radulovic", a political newcomer, won 75,000 votes in the last elections with only social media activities and a month-long campaign.

Sasa Radulovic, the leader of the movement, told BIRN that the Internet was their main propaganda weapon since the traditional media were closed to them.

"Social media are extremely important as the mainstream media ignore us. The ruling party members do not want duels on TV because they are afraid," Radulovic said.

"Last week in Nis [in southern Serbia] I had a lecture and the event was promoted only on Facebook. There wasn't enough space...