Srdanović to ETV Portal: We have brought freedom to everyone

We have brought freedom not only to the citizens who voted for us, but also to those who were trapped, unhappy and blackmailed, who found themselves on the other side of the ballot. We have brought freedom to everyone - the lead candidate on the Student List Dr Ilija Srdanović told ETV Portal after securing a resounding victory over Aleksandar Vučić.

He stressed that this victory represented the fulfilment of a dream for the students and young people who had taken part in the protests, as well as proof that dreams can come true if you work hard enough and persevere.

Srdanović said they had expected to win and that their statements about the Student List’s substantial lead had not been a marketing ploy, but rather a reflection of the actual situation.

- We are fully aware that we are witnessing a historic moment. We had been signalling this outcome to everyone - citizens and journalists, both at home and abroad. It was particularly important for us to convey a message of peace and stability to all countries in the region, especially our brotherly Montenegro, so that they would understand that we want to build better relations. It was very important to communicate this message - Srdanović said.

He recalled that during the election campaign they had expressed confidence in their victory, which, he noted, was confirmed by the election results. He added that the outcome had not come as a surprise to them.

Srdanović said he had both inside information and a personal sense, developed while travelling around Serbia, that the election would turn out this way and that a different result was not possible.

- Beyond the happiness we feel, the next crucial step will be to begin implementing everything we promised during the campaign once the conditions are in place to form a government. The first and most important goal is to establish the conditions for the rule of law, equality, freedom, media freedom and personal liberties, as well as respect for democratic principles - Srdanović stressed.

He said that no further progress would be possible without these foundations. According to him, the most important task is to free the institutions, the police, the prosecution and the judiciary so that they can do their jobs.

He also emphasised the need to free the regulatory body for electronic media, which should be responsible for monitoring the media landscape, which he described as having been terribly poisoned over the past 15 years.

- This is not just about the past 15 years. One man, who has been a source of instability in our region for more than 35 years, has brought relations to boiling point in every respect. We need to wipe the slate clean, reset everything and start over, based on the principles of good neighbourly relations - first and foremost with Montenegro, but also with all other countries in the region - Srdanović emphasised.

Asked what message he had for those who had not supported the Student List, Srdanović said he wanted them to know that they would soon understand what life in freedom looked like, even if they had failed to recognise their cause or understand what they believed in.

- Those people were not truly free. They were blackmailed and trapped, and they were not living a life worthy of a human being. Only now will they begin to understand what freedom means. Within a year, Serbia will be a country governed by the rule of law and equality, with a free media landscape. It will be a country where those who have committed or are committing criminal offences will be held accountable. Beyond that, and separate from the repressive aspect of the state, which is far less important, it will be a country governed by knowledgeable people, where those who know how to do their jobs will be respected - Srdanović said.

He added that everyone whose knowledge and expertise could contribute to the country’s progress would have the opportunity to do so.

- Thank you to everyone who believed in this process - Srdanović concluded in his remarks to ETV Portal.