This automatically translated article was originally published by Istinomer.
by Mihaela Šljukić
Three associations whose names could lead people to believe they are connected to a student electoral list were registered on the same day. All three were founded by the same 21-year-old man. They are called “Student List of Serbia – Students Are Winning,” “Students Are Winning,” and “Student List of Belgrade – Students Are Winning.” Students involved in the blockades have warned that the associations are fake.
The citizens’ associations “Student List of Serbia – Students Are Winning,” “Students Are Winning,” and “Student List of Belgrade – Students Are Winning” were founded on September 3, 2026, and officially registered on September 10.
All three associations are registered at the same address – 126A Bulevar Arsenija Čarnojevića in New Belgrade.
All three have the same legal representative – David Isailović.
According to the website of the Serbian Business Registers Agency, David Isailović is registered as a resident of Ripanj, Belgrade, and was born in 2005.
Before registering the three associations, Isailović was listed by the Serbian Business Registers Agency as the owner of two cafés called “COFE Amigo” in Voždovac. According to the available records, one of the cafés remains active, while the other is currently in the process of being removed from the register.
Istinomer attempted to contact Isailović using the contact details provided to the Serbian Business Registers Agency, but was unsuccessful. Every call was rejected after the first ring, and he had not replied to our email by the time this article was published.
The three associations not only have the same founder, date of establishment and address, but they also have exactly the same stated objectives. The only difference between their statutes is the name of the association.
The statutes describe the association as “a non-governmental and non-profit organisation established for an indefinite period to pursue objectives related to preserving and strengthening social cohesion, improving the efficiency of institutions, and promoting Serbia’s sustainable development.”
The stated objectives include strengthening dialogue within society, solidarity and mutual trust among citizens; supporting balanced development at the regional and local levels across Serbia; promoting the rule of law and the principles of good governance; building public trust in institutions through legality, transparency and professionalism in the work of public authorities; and improving public policies and regulations.
Students involved in the blockades warned on social media that the associations are fake.
There are suspicions that the associations were set up to appear as so-called phantom lists in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Crta describes phantom lists as electoral lists that typically have no visible activity during the pre-election period and especially none between election cycles. It is also unclear how such lists obtain the signatures required to stand for election, since they do not issue public calls for support, operate campaign stands or engage in similar activities.
The names of electoral lists have been manipulated in previous election cycles as well, including during the local elections in March this year. At the time, several lists with no connection to the student movement entered the electoral race.
In Kula, for example, the list “Young People for Kula” competed against the authentic civic-student list “Voice of the Youth of Kula Municipality.” In Smederevska Palanka, the name “Students of Palanka” could have led voters to believe that the list was affiliated with the student movement, while the authentic student list ran under the name “Young People for Palanka – Alone Against Everyone.”
