The Social Democratic Union ({{langx|sr|Социјалдемократска унија|Socijaldemokratska unija}}; abbr. СДУ, SDU) was a minor social democratic and leftist political party in Serbia.{{cite web|title=Social democratic parties|url=http://www.europeanforum.net/country/serbia#social_democratic_parties|publisher=European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530101254/http://www.europeanforum.net/country/serbia#social_democratic_parties|archive-date=2015-05-30}} In 2020 Party merged into Party of the Radical Left.{{Cite web|date=2020-09-07|title=Osnovana Partija radikalne levice|url=https://nova.rs/vesti/politika/osnovana-partija-radikalne-levice/|access-date=2020-09-07|website=NOVA portal|language=en-US}}

History

The Social Democratic Union was registered on 13 May 1996. It was founded by former members of the Civic Alliance of Serbia, led by Žarko Korać, who opposed forming coalition with the right-wing Serbian Renewal Movement for the 1996 federal election.{{cite book |last1=Milošević |first1=Milan |title=Politički vodič kroz Srbiju 2000. |date=2000 |publisher=Medija centar |location=Belgrade |isbn=86-82827-13-1 |page=101 |url=https://www.academia.edu/32183626 |accessdate=21 April 2019}} On 21 April 2002 the SDU merged with Social Democracy (SD) and founded the Social Democratic Party (SDP).{{cite web|last1=Nikolić|first1=V.|title=Snaga za novo vreme|url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2002/04/22/srpski/P02042107.shtml|website=arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs|publisher=Glas javnosti|accessdate=28 May 2018|language=Serbian|date=22 April 2002}}

A year later, disenchanted members of the SDP, led by Žarko Korać, left and re-founded the SDU on 29 March 2003. Spokesman of the SDP Ljiljana Nestorović stated that this was due to almost all local councils supporting co-president Slobodan Orlić, former leader of the SD, in the upcoming party congress which was to be held in less than 20 days.{{cite web|last1=G.|first1=D.|title=Razlaz Koraća i Orlića|url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2003/04/03/srpski/P03040206.shtml|website=arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs|publisher=Glas javnosti|accessdate=28 May 2018|language=Serbian|date=3 April 2003}} In the 2014 election the SDU was again part of the coalition around Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) but the coalition failed to enter the parliament. It gained 3.36% of the votes, and did not reach the threshold of 5%. At the 8th Congress in June 2014, Korać stepped down and Miloš Adamović was elected president.{{cite web|last1=Tončić|first1=Bojan|title=Žarko Korać otišao sa funkcije predsednika|url=http://www.e-novine.com/srbija/vesti/105084-arko-Kora-otiao-funkcije-predsednika.html|publisher=e-novine|accessdate=17 March 2018|date=17 June 2014|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140619212731/http://www.e-novine.com/srbija/vesti/105084-arko-Kora-otiao-funkcije-predsednika.html|archive-date=19 June 2014}}

At the 9th Congress on 15 October 2016, Ivan Zlatić was elected president.{{cite web|title=IVAN ZLATIĆ NOVI PREDSEDNIK SDU|url=http://www.sdu.org.rs/ivan-zlatic-novi-predsednik-sdu/|website=sdu.org.rs|publisher=SDU|accessdate=17 March 2018|date=27 October 2016}} In the 2018 Belgrade local election the SDU went as part of the Do not let Belgrade d(r)own electoral list which won 3.44% and failed to pass the electoral threshold.{{cite web|title=ZAJEDNO U BORBU ZA SOCIJALNU PRAVDU|url=http://www.sdu.org.rs/podrzite-ndm-bgd-zajedno-borbu-socijalnu-pravdu/|website=sdu.org.rs|publisher=SDU|accessdate=17 March 2018|date=22 January 2018}}{{cite book|title=Službeni List Grada Beograda|date=5 March 2018|publisher=Grad Beograd, Sekretarijat za informisanje|location=Belgrade|issn=0350-4727|page=3|edition=22|url=http://sllistbeograd.rs/pdf/download/1155/|accessdate=17 March 2018}} On 12th Congress SDU merged into Party of the Radical Left.

Electoral results

=Parliamentary elections=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! Year ! Popular vote ! % of popular vote ! # of seats ! Seat change ! Coalitions ! Status
1997 \| colspan=2 style="background:#ddd;\| Election boycott \| {{Composition bar\|0\|250\|hex=red}} \| {{nochange}} \| – \| style="background:#ddd;"\| no seats
2000 \| 2,402,387 \| 64.09% \| {{Composition bar\|4\|250\|red}} \| {{increase}} 4 \| DOS alliance \| {{yes\|government}}
2003 \| 481,249 \| 12.58% \| {{Composition bar\|1\|250\|red}} \| {{decrease}} 3 \| With DS–GSS–DC–LZS \| {{no\|opposition}}
2007 \| 214,262 \| 5.31% \| {{Composition bar\|1\|250\|red}} \| {{steady}} \| {{nowrap\|With LDP−GSS–LSV–DHSS}} \| {{no\|opposition}}
2008 \| 216,902 \| 5.24% \| {{Composition bar\|1\|250\|red}} \| {{steady}} \| With LDP−DHSS \| {{no\|opposition}}
2012 \| 255,546 \| 6.53% \| {{Composition bar\|1\|250\|red}} \| {{steady}} \| U-Turn alliance \| {{no\|opposition}}
2014 \| 120,879 \| 3.36% \| {{Composition bar\|0\|250\|red}} \| {{decrease}} 1 \| With LDP−BDZS \| style="background:#ddd;"\| no seats
2016 \| 35,710 \| 0.94% \| {{Composition bar\|0\|250\|red}} \| {{steady}} \| With LS−PZP \| style="background:#ddd;"\| no seats
2020 \| colspan=2 style="background:#ddd;\| Election boycott \| {{Composition bar\|0\|250\|red}} \| {{steady}} \| – \| style="background:#ddd;"\| no seats

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! Year

! Popular vote

! % of popular vote

! # of seats

! Seat change

! Coalitions

! Status

1997

| colspan=2 style="background:#ddd;| Election boycott

| {{Composition bar|0|250|hex=red}}

| {{nochange}}