Country: | Serbia |
Party of Serbian Unity | |
Native Name: | Странка српског јединства Stranka srpskog jedinstva |
President: | Borislav Pelević |
Foundation: | 1993 |
Abbreviation: | SSJ |
Founder: | Željko Ražnatović |
Dissolution: | 2007 |
Predecessor: | Civic Group – Željko Ražnatović Arkan |
Merged: | Serbian Radical Party |
Successor: | Council of Serbian Unity |
Position: | Far-right[1] |
Wing1 Title: | Military wing |
Wing1: | Serb Volunteer Guard (1993–96) |
Colours: | Grey |
Headquarters: | Belgrade (1993–1998) Jagodina (1998–2007) |
Seats1 Title: | National Assembly |
Flag: | Flag of Serbia (cross).svg |
The Party of Serbian Unity (Serbian: Странка српског јединства|Stranka srpskog jedinstva; abbr. SSJ) was a nationalist[2] political party in Serbia founded by Željko Ražnatović.[3] After its merging into the Serbian Radical Party, the Council of Serbian Unity was the formed to be the party's successor in 2013.
The key goals of the party were:
In 1992, a new party formed by Ražnatović called the Civic Group – Željko Ražnatović Arkan.[4] It gained five seats in the National Assembly during the 1992 general elections. After changing to the SSJ in 1993, the party lost its five seats for failing to receive the 5% threshold. In 1998, the party moved its headquarters from Belgrade to Jagodina.
Following the assassination of Ražnatović in 2000, Borislav Pelević became president of the party. At the last legislative election in 2003, the SSJ was a part of the For National Unity alliance. However, the coalition failed to receive any seats. The SSJ merged into the Serbian Radical Party in 2007.[3]
On 21 January 2013, the party was re-founded as the Council of Serbian Unity by Pelević, Slobodan Radosavljević and Jelena Kostić in Belgrade.[5] The new party took part in the 2014 parliamentary election as part of the Patriotic Front coalition, but failed to reach the 5% threshold.[6]
Year | Leader | Popular vote | % of popular vote |
| Seat change | Coalition | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | Željko Ražnatović | 17,352 | 0.39% | 5 | — | ||
1993 | 41,632 | 1.00% | 5 | — | |||
1997 | 5,590 | 0.14% | 0 | — | |||
2000 | Borislav Pelević | 200,052 | 5.33% | 14 | — | ||
2003 | 68,537 | 1.82% | 14 | For National Unity | |||
2014 | 4,514 | 0.17% | 0 | Patriotic Front |