# League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina

The League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (Serbian: Лига социјалдемократа Војводине, romanized: Liga socijaldemokrata Vojvodine, abbr. LSV) is an autonomist political party in Serbia. Its current leader is Bojan Kostreš, who succeeded Nenad Čanak. They're colloquially known as ligaši (Leaguemen).

## History

The party was founded by Nenad Čanak on 14 July 1990 in Novi Sad. At the First Party Congress, the LSV adopted the party program, which defined following principles of the party: liberty, equality, justice, solidarity, and publicity. At the Second Congress, which was held in July 1997, the LSV adopted a new statute.
In the first years of its existence, the party's activities were mainly directed towards organisation of anti-war actions. Together with other parties, it organised anti-war demonstrations in Vojvodina and publicly opposed mobilisation of Vojvodina citizens for the front lines in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

## Ideology

LSV is positioned on the centre-left on the political spectrum. It is mainly orientated towards autonomism, although the party is also social-democratic, and regionalist. It represents itself as a multi-ethnic party, and it previously advocated for the creation of Republic of Vojvodina. It is also supportive of feminism and anti-fascism. It is supportive of accession of Serbia to the European Union.
In the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, LSV was associated with the Socialist Group.

### Goals

The League advocates the "right of autonomous decisions about fundamental affairs of Vojvodina within Serbia", which, according to the League, was abolished after the so-called Yogurt Revolution in 1988 and after constitutional changes from 1990, which, according to the League, diminished the autonomy of Vojvodina to "protocolar minimum".
In December 1998, the League proclaimed that its political goal is establishment of the Republic of Vojvodina within a federalised Serbia. In recent years, the League mostly abandoned the idea of a Republic of Vojvodina, but it still advocated a greater level of autonomy for the province. In November 2011, League official Aleksandra Jerkov stated that "Vojvodina needs more jurisdictions", but that "there is no need for it to be a republic".

## Presidents

| No. | President | President | Birth–Death | Term start | Term end |
| 1 | Nenad Čanak | | 1959– | 14 July 1990 | 19 November 2022 |
| 2 | Bojan Kostreš | | 1974– | 19 November 2022 | Incumbent |

## Electoral performance
### Parliamentary elections

In the 1990 Serbian general election, the League supported candidates of the Union of Reform Forces of Yugoslavia and the Association for Yugoslav Democratic Initiative in several electoral districts.
National Assembly of Serbia :
| Year | Leader | Popular vote | % of popular vote | # of seats | Seat change | Coalition | Status |
| 1992 | Nenad Čanak | 36,780 | 0.78% | 0 / 250 | | With RS-RK-NSS | no seats |
| 1993 | Nenad Čanak | 41,097 | 0.96% | 0 / 250 | | With RDSV-SJ | no seats |
| 1997 | Nenad Čanak | 112,589 | 2.72% | 3 / 250 | 3 | KV | opposition |
| 2000 | Nenad Čanak | 2,402,387 | 64.09% | 6 / 250 | 3 | DOS | government |
| 2003 | Nenad Čanak | 161,765 | 4.23% | 0 / 250 | 6 | ZZT | no seats |
| 2007 | Nenad Čanak | 214,262 | 5.31% | 4 / 250 | 4 | With LDP-GSS-SDU-DHSS | opposition |
| 2008 | Nenad Čanak | 1,590,200 | 38.42% | 5 / 250 | 1 | ZES | support |
| 2012 | Nenad Čanak | 863,294 | 22.07% | 3 / 250 | 2 | IZBŽ | opposition |
| 2014 | Nenad Čanak | 204,767 | 5.70% | 6 / 250 | 3 | With NDS-Z-ZZS | opposition |
| 2016 | Nenad Čanak | 189,564 | 5.02% | 4 / 250 | 2 | With SDS-LDP | opposition |
| 2020 | Nenad Čanak | 30,591 | 0.95% | 0 / 250 | 4 | UDS | no seats |
| 2022 | Nenad Čanak | did not participate | did not participate | 0 / 250 | — | — | no seats |

### Provincial elections

In the 2004 provincial election, the LSV was part of the Together for Vojvodina coalition. The coalition won 9.44% of the popular vote in the first-round of voting. The party subsequently participated in post-election provincial government.
In the 2008 provincial election, the LSV was again part of the Together for Vojvodina coalition. The coalition won 8.25% of the popular vote in the first-round of voting, representing a drop of −1.19% from the previous election. The party subsequently participated in post-election provincial government.

### Presidential elections

President of Serbia :
| Election year | # | Candidate | 1st round votes | % | 2nd round votes | % | Notes |
| 1997 | 4th | Mile Isakov | 111,166 | 2.43 | — | — | Vojvodina Coalition; Election declared invalid due to low turnout |
| 2002 | 2nd | Miroljub Labus | 995,200 | 27.96 | 1,516,693 | 31.62 | DOS; Election declared invalid due to low turnout |
| 2003 | 2nd | Dragoljub Mićunović | 893,906 | 35.42 | — | — | DOS; Election declared invalid due to low turnout |
| 2008 | 1st | Boris Tadić | 1,457,030 | 35.39 | 2,304,467 | 50.31 | For a European Serbia |
| 2012 | 2nd | Boris Tadić | 989,454 | 25.31 | 1,481,952 | 47.31 | Choice for a Better Life |
| 2017 | 9th | Nenad Čanak | 41,070 | 1.12 | — | — | |
| 2022 | did not participate | — | — | — | — | |

## Positions held

Major positions held by League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina members:
| President of the Assembly of Vojvodina | Years |
| Nenad Čanak | 2000–2004 |
| Bojan Kostreš | 2004–2008 |

## Gallery

* LSV balloon - 2012 elections campaign
* LSV billboard in Novi Sad.
* Republic of Vojvodina within federalised Serbia, proposed by the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina in 1999.