Serbia: 25 October parliamentary elections, Vučić’s party and the Students’ List neck and neck
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On Sunday 25 October, Serbia votes in parliamentary elections. The party of Aleksandar Vučić, in power for 14 years, faces the Students’ List, which came out of the protest movement.
In this article
The essentials
According to the Associated Press, Serbia votes on Sunday 25 October in parliamentary elections. Aleksandar Vučić, a populist leader, resigned from the presidency last month to lead the campaign and return as Prime Minister. His right-wing Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has been in power for 14 years. His main opponent is the Students’ List, backed by young people. AP calls it the most uncertain election of recent years.
Rules and figures
Parliament has 250 seats and 18 parties are competing for seats. About 6.4 million voters are registered. A 3% threshold is needed to enter Parliament; high turnout could push most small parties below that threshold. Official results are not expected before Monday; the article does not give the polling stations’ closing time.
The student movement
The protests have lasted nearly two years, since the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad station, which killed 16 people. Protesters denounce corruption and cronyism behind the negligent renovation work. The movement has no leader. The Students’ List is a recent formation none of whose candidates, according to AP, is a student: they are little-known experts, athletes, farmers and artists. Students have travelled the country by bike and on foot to reach rural areas, Vučić’s strongholds.
Concerns about the fairness of the vote
The European Union is watching the vote closely, Serbia being a candidate for membership. International and local observers are worried about the security and fairness of the campaign. AP cites detentions, near-control of the media by the authorities and cases of surveillance and cyberattacks against activists. In local elections this year, journalists and activists were attacked. Vučić said his camp would accept a defeat but would quickly crack down on any challenge after a victory.
What we do not know yet
When this article was written, neither turnout nor results were known. The AP article gives no poll figures. Follow the next dispatches for the results.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
Son Parti progressiste serbe (SNS), de droite, est au pouvoir depuis 14 ans.Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
Aleksandar Vučić, leader populiste, a démissionné de la présidence le mois dernier pour mener la campagne et revenir comme Premier ministre.Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The futur simple
stem (infinitive) + -ai / -as / -a / -ons / -ez / -ont
Pas de mise à jour automatique.Une suite sera ajoutée quand les résultats seront connus.Key pointsThe futur simple means “will do” or “is planned to”. Add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont to the infinitive (participer → il participera). Watch the irregular stems: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-, faire → fer-, pouvoir → pourr-, voir → verr-. In the news it is used for fixed plans and outlooks.
04The present conditional
stem (infinitive) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient
Un seuil de 3 % est nécessaire pour entrer au Parlement ; une forte participation pourrait faire passer la plupart des petits partis sous ce seuil.Key pointsThe conditional expresses possibility, supposition, unconfirmed information and polite requests (“would”, “might”). It uses the same stem as the future and the same endings as the imparfait (-ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient): pouvoir → il pourrait. In the news it is used to avoid asserting, as in “is reported to…” or “there is a possibility…”.
05The passive voice in the present
être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)
Les résultats officiels ne sont pas attendus avant lundi ; l’article ne donne pas l’heure de fermeture des bureaux.Key pointsThe passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).
06The passive in the passé composé
a / ont été + past participle
Lors de locales cette année, journalistes et militants ont été agressés.Key pointsThe past passive means “was done”. Its form is present of avoir + été (past participle of être) + past participle. Été does not change, but the last participle agrees with the subject in gender and number (la loi a été votée / les textes ont été votés). It is frequent in news reporting results such as votes, decisions and announcements.
07The imperative
present vous form (-ez) / nous (-ons) / tu
Suivez les prochaines dépêches pour les résultats.Key pointsThe imperative expresses commands, requests and advice. It has no subject: the sentence starts with the verb (Consultez les informations.). The vous form ends in -ez, nous in -ons (Restons prudents.), and tu in -e for -er verbs (Consulte). It is very common in notices and warnings (Vérifiez, Consultez, Restez informé).
08Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Les résultats officiels ne sont pas attendus avant lundi ; l’article ne donne pas l’heure de fermeture des bureaux.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
09Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon l’Associated Press, la Serbie vote dimanche 25 octobre pour des législatives.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
10Pouvoir: ability and possibility
peut / peuvent / pourrait + infinitive
Un seuil de 3 % est nécessaire pour entrer au Parlement ; une forte participation pourrait faire passer la plupart des petits partis sous ce seuil.Key pointsPut a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.
11Purpose with pour
pour + infinitive
Aleksandar Vučić, leader populiste, a démissionné de la présidence le mois dernier pour mener la campagne et revenir comme Premier ministre.Key pointsThis is the purpose, “in order to…”. Put the base form of a verb after pour. The purpose stated here is separate from whether the effect was actually achieved.
12The subject relative pronoun qui
noun + qui + verb
Les manifestations durent depuis près de deux ans, depuis l’effondrement d’une marquise en béton à la gare de Novi Sad, qui a fait 16 morts.Key pointsQui continues a description of the person or thing just mentioned (“the one that does…”). Because qui is itself the subject of the next verb, do not repeat the subject. The verb agrees with the noun qui refers to.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
AP通信によると、セルビアは、25日（日）に総選挙の投票日を迎えました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Plan, outlook and policy
〜の予定 / 〜見込み / 〜方針
公式の結果は、月曜より前には出ない見込みで、投票の終わる時間は、記事に書かれていませんでした。Key points予定 is a plan, 見込み a forecast and 方針 a course of action or intention. None of them asserts that something has already been carried out. Note the difference from expressions such as “決まりました”.
03Cause or purpose with ため
〜ため / 〜ために
EUは、セルビアが加盟候補国であるため、注視しています。Key pointsため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.
04The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
抗議する人たちは、腐敗や縁故が、改修工事のずさんさにつながったと批判しました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
05Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
AP通信は、この選挙を、近年で最も予想のつかない選挙だとしています。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.
06Treating a clause like a noun with こと
plain-form sentence + こと + particle
ポピュリストと呼ばれるアレクサンダル・ブチッチ氏は、先月、大統領を辞めて、首相に戻ることをめざして、選挙運動を率いています。Key points“〜すること” treats an action or content like a noun. The particle after it (が・を・は…) shows its role in the sentence. “ことができる” is a fixed combination meaning “can”.