Presentation as part of the Round Table “Mechanisms of Participatory Democracy as a Response to the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century”
Since its founding, the Free Citizens’ Movement (Pokret slobodnih građana – PSG) has navigated distinct organizational phases. These transitions have been shaped by the Statute in force, leadership styles, and broader socio-political conditions.
Following Saša Janković—the movement’s initial leader around whom the organization was founded—Sergej Trifunović was elected president. As a recognizable media figure, his role was intended to achieve a breakthrough through direct and original public appearances, while maintaining strictly limited executive authority over daily operations.
In 2019, PSG adopted a highly liberal and democratic Statute designed to decentralize power and establish structured governance.
Organizational Structure and Governance Principles
- Democratic Election of Leadership: No member can serve on top governing bodies without being directly elected by a majority vote at the Assembly.
- Limited Presidential Power: The President of PSG possesses very restricted discretionary powers.
- Role of the Executive Board: The Executive Board (Predsedništvo) acts as the primary governing and operational body, comprising 12 members:
- 6 regional representatives.
- 6 additional members proposed and elected by the assembly.
- Individual Voting: Co-optation and slate (bundled) voting are prohibited. Every candidate for any function is voted on individually.
Preventing Local Bureaucratization
Drawing lessons from previous democratic and pro-European parties in Serbia, PSG actively counters a common organizational trap at the local level: local, city, and municipal boards becoming self-contained and closed once they reach a functional size.
When boards close themselves off to new members to protect internal positions and future political gains, local democracy degrades. In anticipation of regular local elections, PSG focuses on structural mechanisms to enforce openness, internal competition, and participation at the grassroots level.
Member Participation and Policy Creation
Experience within the movement reveals specific patterns regarding member engagement:
- Consultation over Initiative: Members rarely initiate proposals or draft policy documents on their own, but they display a strong need to be consulted. They routinely accept decisions that diverge from their individual views—even when in the minority—provided they were actively involved in the discussion.
- Ending Top-Down Decisions: Addressing past criticisms regarding a lack of direct participatory mechanisms, PSG is shifting away from presenting members with finalized decisions or “finished products,” even when those proposals are well-designed.
- Unlocking Internal Talent: Involving members in drafting program documents and public policies has proven effective for identifying skilled, highly qualified individuals who were previously inactive within lower party levels.
Moving forward, the movement aims to expand these mechanisms to drive higher internal participation, foster vertical mobility, and encourage healthy competition across all levels of the organization.