The distinction between Left and Right can be complicated in the Western Balkans, where political lines can be fuzzy. Left-wing ideology in the region peaked during the Communist era after World War II when it was the only permitted political philosophy. 

The collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFRY, in the 1990s led to the eclipse of the Left and the renaissance of the Right. 

Long-suppressed now ideologies returned to the stage in a new form – with patriotism morphing into extreme nationalism. An authoritarian political culture precipitated the region’s slide towards extreme nationalism. 

This extremism helped spark the wars of the 1990s when the Left and Right ran as rival forces in the first democratic elections following decades of one-party rule. This was also the beginning of a painful transition for the Balkan states, which yearned to embrace democracy. 

Any change is painful, and the new wave of democracy that swept the Western Balkans sometimes seemed like a tsunami for its people. Instead of moderate Left and Right options, the political stage created space for all – including various obscure individuals and parties whose ideologies often flirted with violence. 

In this Balkan labyrinth, Serbia, like other states in the region, saw the creation of a new political culture. On the path of democratization, it was difficult to see which people or groups were Left- or Right-wing, because most parties operate on the premise of the more votes the better, and so try to appeal to the broadest base, regardless of ideology, or sometimes, facts