We have submitted a request for a referendum to stop the “Novi Sad na vodi” development. The Danube waterfront belongs to all citizens, not to a privileged few.
On the last day of the legal deadline, the city did not come before its citizens. Instead of calling a referendum, the city administration found trivial faults and asked for more time, until September 11. The process is not over. We stand by our request and we are moving forward.
The disputed plan turns the Danube waterfront, land meant for tourism, sport and recreation, into yet another construction site for housing, in violation of the city's General Urban Plan.
Alongside Fruška Gora, the Danube is the most important natural resource Novi Sad has. Instead of protecting it, the city is handing it to private interest.
The absurdity is complete. The investor commissioned the plan, the investor paid the public city enterprise for it, and the Commission that adopted it was staffed by architects the same investor had previously hired.
A referendum is the strongest tool citizens have: direct decision-making whose result carries legal force. Not a message, but the binding will of the city.
The referendum and citizens' initiative are guaranteed by the Constitution and are equal in force to the decisions of elected representatives.
The city assembly is obliged to call a referendum at the request of at least 10% of voters. It is a legal duty, not a favour.
A binding decision made at a referendum must be respected. The authorities cannot bypass it or overturn it with a contrary decision.
When other mechanisms have been rendered meaningless, a referendum returns the decision to those the city belongs to: its citizens.
This is the official request to verify the citizens' initiative that we submitted to the Assembly of the City of Novi Sad. Read it in full and see for yourself.
No one can reliably predict the election date, as it depends on political circumstances beyond our control. That is exactly why we must not tie the fate of the Danube to someone else's calendar. It should also be noted that the announced elections are national, not local, and do not decide the future of the waterfront. The timeline is decisive: as soon as the re-parcelling is completed, applications for building permits and the start of works follow. By the time elections are held, a government is formed and the question of Novi Sad reaches the agenda, the foundations may already be poured and the damage irreversible. A referendum does not rule out any other struggle; it is a concrete, legally grounded mechanism that takes effect immediately.
The logistics are demanding and we do not downplay that. Collecting signatures, field work and oversight of the process require people, time and organisation. The complexity of the task, however, is no reason to give up. Behind the platform stands a large and expert team that has worked through the scenarios and prepared a plan for every stage of the procedure. From citizens we ask one thing: a signature. The organisation, the certifiers and the oversight are ours to handle.
The procedure is prescribed and it is important that everyone knows it. The city first has fifteen days to verify the citizens' initiative with the referendum question, and the legal room to reject the proposal is very narrow. After verification, signature collection begins before municipal certifiers, and certifying a signature is free of charge, on a form the city administration is obliged to provide, within ninety days. Only then does the city assembly decide on calling the referendum, and by law it cannot reject it without grounds. In the event of obstruction, the competent court has thirty days to rule. The point is simple: from this moment on, every decision they make is a problem for them. If they refuse without cause, they face legal and political consequences; if they accept, the referendum moves forward.
We expect obstruction and have factored it into the plan. The law is on the citizens' side: signing is possible at local community offices, and the city is obliged to enable electronic signing of the proposal, which makes the process easier still. In earlier initiatives the city administration provided certifiers on request, so there is a basis to insist on the same. Our main instrument is public pressure, consistent and persistent, aimed at making institutions act in accordance with the law. We do not reveal every step in advance, but for the scenarios ahead we have prepared answers.
Yes, for three reasons. First, by law an annulled decision cannot be re-initiated for four years, which is enough for the project to effectively cease to exist. Second, economic logic: once citizens annul the plan, no serious investor re-enters a venture that has already cost them dearly. Third, and most important, a successful referendum sends a clear message to every future city government that decisions made against citizens' interests can be overturned by the citizens themselves. A citizens' referendum of this kind has never been carried out in Serbia. If we are the first, we permanently shift the balance of power in favour of the citizens of every city.
To call a local referendum, at least 10% of the total number of registered voters in the City of Novi Sad is required. The exact number is determined by the official voter roll and will be published before collection begins. After the proposal is verified, signatures are collected within the legal period of 90 days, and our aim is to reach that number well before the deadline.
Any adult with the right to vote who has registered residence in the City of Novi Sad may sign. These are the same conditions as for voting in local elections: Serbian citizenship, being at least 18 years old, and inclusion in the Novi Sad voter roll.
The signature is given on a prescribed form and certified by an authorised certifier, and certification is free of charge. Two options are provided: in person, at local community offices and municipal certifiers, or electronically, with a qualified electronic signature via the eUprava portal. The electronic route is the fastest for many and requires no visit to a counter.
In this case it is a binding referendum, which means the citizens' decision legally obliges the City, unlike an advisory one, which is merely an opinion with no obligation to implement it. If citizens vote for the plan to cease to be valid, the City Assembly is obliged to act on that decision and implement it in accordance with the law.
The exact locations and opening hours will be announced as soon as the proposal is verified and signature collection officially begins. Signing will be possible at local community offices and municipal certifiers, with an electronic option via eUprava. We will publish all points, maps and times on this site and on Instagram @100postosad.
The referendum question asks whether the plan should cease to be valid. If “YES” wins, the disputed plan ceases to be valid in its entirety; it is not merely paused, it loses legal force. After that, the City Assembly is legally obliged, within 120 days, to prepare and adopt a corresponding act that aligns the situation with the will of the citizens.
A referendum decision is binding regardless of who is in power, because the plan ceases to be valid for everyone. By law, the same question cannot be decided again for four years. This means no future council can bring the same plan back overnight, and any attempt to reintroduce it would be an open violation of the expressed will of the citizens.
Behind the initiative stands the informal citizens' platform “100% Sad.” and an Initiative Committee made up of citizens of Novi Sad, whose full names are listed in the official proposal we submitted to the city, which you can read on this site. We are not a party and we represent no political or private interest. Our only goal is for the citizens to decide about the Danube waterfront.
We will regularly publish all stages of the process, deadlines and the number of signatures collected on this site and on Instagram @100postosad. The counter at the top of the page tracks the legal deadline the city has to respond. Once signature collection begins, we will show progress here too, so everyone knows where we stand at any moment.
The citizens' platform “100% Sad.” grew out of months of struggle against a plan that hands the Danube waterfront along Despota Stefana Boulevard over to housing and private interests. We began in Liman, and the initiative soon brought together people from every part of Novi Sad.
We come from different parts of the city, different professions and walks of life, united by one belief: the future of Novi Sad must be decided by its citizens. We take part under our own names, not as representatives of parties or organisations.
We fight for the Danube together. Sign up and help in any way. No contribution is too small: every signature, every share and every hour on the ground makes us stronger.
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