Serbian Renewal Movement
Encyclopedia
The Serbian Renewal Movement (Serbian
: Српски покрет обнове or Srpski pokret obnove) is a political party
in Serbia
.
It was founded in 1990.
In 1997 a dissident group abandoned the party and formed New Serbia
.
The party was part of Zajedno in 1996 and contested the Yugoslav federal elections and the local elections that caused an upheaval through the end of that year. In 1997, party leader Vuk Drašković
ran twice to be Serbian President but finished third in both elections with about a quarter of the vote. Its party won the third largest number of seats in that year's Serbian parliamentary elections.
In early 1999, the SPO joined the Yugoslav government, and Drašković became a Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister. The SPO had a place in Serbia's Rambouillet
delegation and held posts such as the Yugoslav Information Ministry to show a more pro-Western face to the world in the run-up to Nato's 1999 bombing campaign against the country. In the midst of the war, Drašković and the SPO pulled out the government, calling on the government to surrender to Nato.
The SPO participated in the attempt to overthrow Milošević
through the rest of 1999 through street demonstrations, but Drašković chose in the midst of them to break off his alliance with Zoran Đinđić. This caused the anti-Milošević elements to suggest that he was working for Milošević.
In the revolutionary 2000 presidential and parliamentary elections in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in which Milošević lost, the Serbian Renewal Movement overestimated its strength and ran independently, outside of the vast Democratic Opposition of Serbia
coalition. Vojislav Mihajlović, grandson of Chetnik commander Draža Mihajlović, was its presidential candidate. He was opposed by Vojislav Koštunica
of DOS, Slobodan Milošević
of the ruling SPS and Tomislav Nikolić
of the Serbian Radical Party
. The SPO's vote collapsed, with its traditional voters drawn by Kostunica's conservative nationalism and by the fact that he was their best hope to remove Milošević from power.
There was talk before the 5 October coup d'état of dissolving the Mirko Marjanović
government in Serbia and setting up a government with the Serbian Radical Party. Following the coup, the SPO participated in a so-called national unity government that served effectively under DOS "coordinator" Zoran Đinđić. In December 2000, after two months of DOS rule, Serbian parliamentary elections were held. The SPO, once the strongest opposition, failed to enter the parliament.
The SPO was sidelined as Đinđić ran Serbia and dissolved Yugoslavia in 2003. This brought into existence a new country called Serbia and Montenegro
.
The party fought the December 2003 legislative elections
in a coalition with New Serbia
. The coalition won 7.7% of the popular vote and 22 seats. 13 of these were allocated to the SPO. In turn, the coalition had dispatched 8 deputies into the Assembly of Serbia and Montenegro.
SPO-NS became part of Vojislav Koštunica's first Serbian government. Vuk Drašković in turn became Serbia-Montenegro's Foreign Minister.
Following a split in the party, 9 members of parliament joined the newly-formed Serbian Democratic Renewal Movement
leaving the SPO with only 4. One of the 4 was then bought off by the political tycoon Bogoljub Karić
to form his party
's list.
The SPO fought the 2007 elections
alone and took 3.33% of the vote, winning no seats.
In the parliamentary elections of 11 May 2008 the SPO constituted part of coalition For European Serbia, under the President Boris Tadić
, which occupied the first place, gaining, 38.42 of the vote and 102 seats of the Serbian parliament, while the same SPO took four seats and its vice president mr Srđan Srećković occupied the ministry of Diaspora.
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: Српски покрет обнове or Srpski pokret obnove) is a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
.
It was founded in 1990.
In 1997 a dissident group abandoned the party and formed New Serbia
New Serbia
New Serbia is a political party in Serbia. It was created in 1997 by a number of dissidents from the Serbian Renewal Movement....
.
The party was part of Zajedno in 1996 and contested the Yugoslav federal elections and the local elections that caused an upheaval through the end of that year. In 1997, party leader Vuk Drašković
Vuk Draškovic
Vuk Drašković , leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, is a Serbian politician who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Yugoslavia and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of State Union of Serbia and Montenegro and Serbia.He graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School in 1968...
ran twice to be Serbian President but finished third in both elections with about a quarter of the vote. Its party won the third largest number of seats in that year's Serbian parliamentary elections.
In early 1999, the SPO joined the Yugoslav government, and Drašković became a Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister. The SPO had a place in Serbia's Rambouillet
Rambouillet
Rambouillet is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.It is located in the suburbs of Paris southwest from the center...
delegation and held posts such as the Yugoslav Information Ministry to show a more pro-Western face to the world in the run-up to Nato's 1999 bombing campaign against the country. In the midst of the war, Drašković and the SPO pulled out the government, calling on the government to surrender to Nato.
The SPO participated in the attempt to overthrow Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
through the rest of 1999 through street demonstrations, but Drašković chose in the midst of them to break off his alliance with Zoran Đinđić. This caused the anti-Milošević elements to suggest that he was working for Milošević.
In the revolutionary 2000 presidential and parliamentary elections in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in which Milošević lost, the Serbian Renewal Movement overestimated its strength and ran independently, outside of the vast Democratic Opposition of Serbia
Democratic Opposition of Serbia
The Democratic Opposition of Serbia was a wide alliance of political parties in Serbia , formed as a coalition against the ruling Socialist Party of Serbia and its leader, Slobodan Milošević in 2000...
coalition. Vojislav Mihajlović, grandson of Chetnik commander Draža Mihajlović, was its presidential candidate. He was opposed by Vojislav Koštunica
Vojislav Koštunica
Vojislav Koštunica is a Serbian politician, statesman and the president of the Democratic Party of Serbia. He was the last President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, succeeding Slobodan Milošević and serving from 2000 to 2003...
of DOS, Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
of the ruling SPS and Tomislav Nikolić
Tomislav Nikolic
Tomislav "Toma" Nikolić is a Serbian politician, President of the Serbian Progressive Party. He is also a former member of the Serbian Radical Party, where he served as Deputy Leader of the party and parliamentary leader during the absence of Vojislav Šešelj...
of the Serbian Radical Party
Serbian Radical Party
The Serbian Radical Party is a far-right Serbian nationalist political party in Serbia, founded in 1991. Currently the second-largest party in the Serbian National Assembly, it has branches in three of the nations that currently border Serbia – all former federal republics of Yugoslavia...
. The SPO's vote collapsed, with its traditional voters drawn by Kostunica's conservative nationalism and by the fact that he was their best hope to remove Milošević from power.
There was talk before the 5 October coup d'état of dissolving the Mirko Marjanović
Mirko Marjanovic
Mirko Marjanović was a former Prime Minister of Serbia and a high-ranking official in Slobodan Milošević's Socialist Party of Serbia .-Biography:Marjanović was born into a large working-class family with 7 children...
government in Serbia and setting up a government with the Serbian Radical Party. Following the coup, the SPO participated in a so-called national unity government that served effectively under DOS "coordinator" Zoran Đinđić. In December 2000, after two months of DOS rule, Serbian parliamentary elections were held. The SPO, once the strongest opposition, failed to enter the parliament.
The SPO was sidelined as Đinđić ran Serbia and dissolved Yugoslavia in 2003. This brought into existence a new country called Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
.
The party fought the December 2003 legislative elections
Serbian parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections took place in Serbia on 21 January 2007. The first session of the new National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia was held on 14 February 2007....
in a coalition with New Serbia
New Serbia
New Serbia is a political party in Serbia. It was created in 1997 by a number of dissidents from the Serbian Renewal Movement....
. The coalition won 7.7% of the popular vote and 22 seats. 13 of these were allocated to the SPO. In turn, the coalition had dispatched 8 deputies into the Assembly of Serbia and Montenegro.
SPO-NS became part of Vojislav Koštunica's first Serbian government. Vuk Drašković in turn became Serbia-Montenegro's Foreign Minister.
Following a split in the party, 9 members of parliament joined the newly-formed Serbian Democratic Renewal Movement
Serbian Democratic Renewal Movement
Serbian Democratic Renewal Movement was a monarchist political party in Serbia...
leaving the SPO with only 4. One of the 4 was then bought off by the political tycoon Bogoljub Karić
Bogoljub Karic
Bogoljub Karić ) is a businessman and politician from Serbia.- Early life :Bogoljub Karić was born on January 17, 1954 in Peć, Kosovo, Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia, to Janićije Karić and Danica Kuzmanović. He earned a degree in Geography from Prirodno-matematički fakultet in Priština and his Master's...
to form his party
Serbian Strength Movement
The Strength of Serbia Movement is a political party in Serbia led by Bogoljub Karić. He finished third in the 2004 presidential elections....
's list.
The SPO fought the 2007 elections
Serbian parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections took place in Serbia on 21 January 2007. The first session of the new National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia was held on 14 February 2007....
alone and took 3.33% of the vote, winning no seats.
In the parliamentary elections of 11 May 2008 the SPO constituted part of coalition For European Serbia, under the President Boris Tadić
Boris Tadic
Boris Tadić is the President of Serbia and leader of the Democratic Party. He was elected to a five-year term on 27 June 2004, and was sworn into office on 11 July. He was re-elected for a de facto second five-year term on 3 February 2008 and was sworn in on 15 February...
, which occupied the first place, gaining, 38.42 of the vote and 102 seats of the Serbian parliament, while the same SPO took four seats and its vice president mr Srđan Srećković occupied the ministry of Diaspora.