ISSUE: 2/2026
- Volume 30
- Number 2
- 2026
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Studia Europejskie –
Studies in European Affairs
ISSN: 1428-149X
e-ISSN: 2719-3780
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Articles published in the journal are under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivatives 4.0 International License
Publication co-financed by Ministry of Science and Higher Education pursuant to the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 3 August 2021 (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 1514) on the “Development of Scientific Journals” programme.
Publikacja dofinansowana przez Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego na podstawie rozporządzenia Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z 3 sierpnia 2021 r. (Dz. U. z 2021 r. poz. 1514) w sprawie programu „Rozwój czasopism naukowych”.
Publication co-financed by the University of Warsaw within the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” programme.
Czasopismo otrzymało dofinasowanie w ramach Programu „Inicjatywa Doskonałości – Uczelnia Badawcza”.
Worlds Apart: Revisiting the Urban–Rural Divide in Contemporary Political Polarisation in Serbia
Abstract
The urban–rural divide has long been considered one of the defining political cleavages of any society, yet it has remained comparatively understudied in the context of Serbia. With the emergence of widespread protest movements against an increasingly authoritarian and consistently populist incumbent regime in Serbia, this cleavage appears to have gained renewed relevance. These dynamics are reflected in pronounced differences in the demographic, attitudinal, and electoral profiles of regime supporters and opponents. This study examines the contemporary significance of the urban–rural divide in shaping political polarisation.
The analysis draws on cumulative data from three nationwide public opinion surveys conducted in 2025, complemented by electoral data from local elections held in the same year across five municipalities. The study maps value orientations, socio-demographic characteristics, voting preferences, and attitudes towards political polarisation, identifying systematic differences between urban and rural voters. It further explores the deeper structural and social foundations of these divides and the mechanisms through which they shape electoral behaviour. The theoretical framework combines scholarship on social cleavages and urban–rural political mobilisation with contemporary literature on hybrid regimes. The findings contribute to debates on social divisions while also addressing broader discussions on hybrid regimes, democratic decline, opposition strategies, and urban resilience.
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Language: English
Pages: 215-234
How to Cite:
Harvard
Bursać, D. (2026) "Worlds Apart: Revisiting the Urban–Rural Divide in Contemporary Political Polarisation in Serbia". Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs, 2/2026, pp. 215-234. DOI: 10.33067/SE.2.2026.11