Better Serbia (, BS) was a national-conservative political party in Serbia. Its leader was Dragan Jovanović, a former member of New Serbia. It was the main governing party in the municipality of Topola.
Origins and current status Jovanović was a longtime member of New Serbia (NS) before his expulsion from the party in January 2017, which occurred against the backdrop of a quarrel with party leader Velimir Ilić. Jovanović was elected on Serbian Progressive Party's (SNS) list in 2016, and after serving as an independent member of the assembly for six months, Jovanović launched Better Serbia in July 2017."Bolja Srbija - nova stranka, predsednik Dragan Jovanović", Tanjug, 24 July 2017, accessed 27 September 2017. A month before the formation, Jovanović presented a political program with Vladan Glišić and Miroslav Parović. He outlined the party's positions in an interview with Politika shortly thereafter, noting the party's focus on agrarian issues.Мирјана Чекеревац, "Увек сам за народне коалиције", Politika, 4 August 2017, accessed 27 September 2017. Jovanović was a supporter of Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić at the time of Better Serbia's establishment, although by 2020 he had become an opponent of the administration.Mirjana R. Milenković, "Jovanović: Mislio sam da su žuti najgori, ali naprednjaci su gori", Danas, 6 March 2020, accessed 4 February 2021.
Better Serbia contested the 2020 Serbian parliamentary election in an alliance with Healthy Serbia. Their list did not cross the electoral threshold to win representation in the assembly. Better Serbia won a narrow victory in Jovanović's home community of Topola in the concurrent 2020 Serbian local elections, defeating the Serbian Progressive Party by sixteen seats to fifteen. After the election, the Progressives formed a new governing alliance with smaller parties in the local assembly, and Better Serbia served in opposition."SNS na čelu vlasti u Topoli, Dragan Jovanović posle 16 godina ide u opoziciju", Danas, 19 August 2020, accessed 4 February 2021. In April 2021, however, two defectors from the Progressives allowed Better Serbia to form a new municipal administration with the support from the Movement for the Restoration of the Kingdom of Serbia. Topola's incumbent mayor, Ivan Petrović, also chose to join the new administration."U Topoli prekomponovana vlast, Bolja Srbija dobila podršku troje naprednjaka", Danas, 27 April 2021, accessed 27 April 2021.
On 14 February 2022, Dragan Jovanović announced that BS will participate in the 2022 Serbian parliamentary elections as part of the SNS-led coalition and their "Together We Can Do Everything" ballot list. On 12 April 2023, BS merged into SNS.
Presidents of Better Serbia #PresidentBorn-DiedTerm startTerm end1Dragan Jovanović1976–24 July 201712 April 2023
Electoral performance Parliamentary elections + National Assembly of Serbia Year Leader Popular vote % of popular vote # of seats Seat change Coalition Status 2020 Dragan Jovanović 33,435 1.08% 11th 1 BS–ZS 2022 1,635,101 44.27% 1st 1 ZMS
Presidential elections + President of Serbia Year Candidate 1st round popular vote % of popular vote 2nd round popular vote % of popular vote Notes 2022 Aleksandar Vučić 2,224,914 60.01% — — Supported Vučić
See also
List of political parties in Serbia
References