Nationalization in an asymmetric autonomy: the case of the 2020 Vojvodina elections

Abstract

The provincial elections in the Serbian region of Vojvodina are preconditioned to demonstrate the typical effects of second-order competition. Its main features include the weak competences of regional institutions in a specific shared-rule arrangement, which are limited to only one province, and a non-politicized regional identity. The trend of simultaneous voting, along with a recently aligned electoral system and a centralized political arena, has created a nationalized regional competition, emulating national political dynamics. This claim is substantiated through an analysis of candidates, campaigns, and results, as well as voters’ behaviour, the last being operationalized through the dissimilarity index, both on the provincial level and on the level of polling-stations.