Paja Francuski

Paja Francuski (; 1949–25 March 2023) is a politician in Serbia. He was the mayor of Kikinda from 1996 to 2000, served in the Assembly of Vojvodina from 1997 to 2004, and was a member of the Executive Council of Vojvodina from 2000 to 2004. During his time as an elected official, Francuski was a member of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV).

Early life and private career Francuski was born in Kikinda in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, in what was then the People's Republic of Serbia in the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. He graduated from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Mining and Geology and worked at Naftna Industrija Srbije.

Politician During the Milošević years (1992–2000) Francuski was first elected to the Kikinda municipal assembly in the December 1992 Serbian local elections.

In 1996, the LSV formed an alliance known as the Vojvodina Coalition (KV) with two other regional parties. This coalition won a plurality victory in Kikinda in the 1996 local elections and, in conjunction with the mostly supportive Zajedno (English: Together) coalition, controlled a majority of seats in the assembly. Francuski was re-elected to the assembly and, when it convened, was chosen as its president (i.e., speaker). At the time, this position was equivalent to that of mayor.

Francuski was also elected for Kikinda's second division as a Vojvodina Coalition candidate in the concurrent 1996 Vojvodina provincial election and was sworn in when the assembly convened in early 1997. The election was won by the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), and Francuski served in opposition.

The LSV left the Vojvodina Coalition in 1998. Over the next two years, Francuski emerged as a prominent local opponent of Slobodan Milošević's government. In September 1999, he attended a meeting of the Socialist International's committee on local authorities with another member of the Serbian opposition.

The fall of Milošević and after (2000–12) The LSV joined the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS), a broad and ideologically diverse coalition of parties opposed to Milošević's government, in 2000. The DOS defeated Milošević in the 2000 Yugoslavian general election, an event that prompted wide-scale changes in Serbian politics.

Francuski was re-elected for Kikinda's second division as a DOS candidate in the 2000 provincial election and was also re-elected to the Kikinda municipal assembly in the concurrent 2000 local elections. The DOS won majority victories at both levels of government. When the provincial assembly convened, Francuski was appointed as one of the vice-presidents of Vojvodina's executive council. He served in this capacity until 2002, when he was re-assigned as the provincial secretary for energy and minerals. In the latter role, he took part in discussions about forming a public company for natural gas distribution in the province; in September 2003, he had to announce that this plan was being abandoned, as there were no viable options to provide a stable, safe, and cheap supply to consumers. The following year, he complained that relations between the republican and provincial energy ministries were not satisfactory.

The DOS coalition had dissolved by 2004, and the LSV contested that year's provincial election in its own Together for Vojvodina (ZZV) coalition. Francuski sought re-election in Kikinda's second division and was defeated. He stood down from the executive council shortly after the election.

Francuski briefly returned to political life in 2012 as a member of the Preokret (English: U-Turn) coalition. He sought re-election to the provincial assembly in his old constituency for the 2012 provincial election and was defeated. He also appeared in the third position on the U-Turn list for Kikinda in the 2012 local elections; the list did not cross the electoral threshold to win any mandates.

Francuski died on 25 March 2023 after a short and serious illness.

Electoral record Provincial (Vojvodina) + 2012 Vojvodina assembly electionKikinda II (constituency seat) - First and Second Rounds Miloš Šibul League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina–Nenad Čanak 2,644 17.38 7,741 53.81 Svetislav Vukmirica Let's Get Vojvodina Moving–Tomislav Nikolić (Serbian Progressive Party, New Serbia, Movement of Socialists, Strength of Serbia Movement) (Affiliation: Serbian Progressive Party) 3,959 26.02 6,644 46.19 Savo Dobranić (incumbent) Choice for a Better Vojvodina (Affiliation: Democratic Party) 2,398 15.76 Gojko Grubor Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS), United Serbia (JS), Social Democratic Party of Serbia (SDP Serbia) (Affiliation: Socialist Party) 1,284 8.44 Branislav Bajić Citizen's Group: Strength of Kikinda 1,255 8.25 Paja Francuski U-Turn 941 6.18 Ferenc Lepár Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians 847 5.57 Karolj Damjanov United Regions of Serbia–Karolj Damjanov 811 5.33 Mladen Koprivica Democratic Party of Serbia 556 3.65 Nikola Jankov Serbian Radical Party 520 3.42 Total valid votes 15,215 100 14,385 100

+ 2004 Vojvodina assembly electionKikinda II (constituency seat) - First and Second Rounds Savo Dobranić Democratic Party 2,485 20.09 6,050 51.02 Blagoje Krajinović Serbian Radical Party 3,134 25.33 5,809 48.98 Paja Francuski (incumbent) Coalition: Together for Vojvodina–Nenad Čanak (Affiliation: League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina) 1,718 13.89 Prim. Dr. Dragan Pakaški Socialist Party of Serbia 1,600 12.93 Dr. Mirko Stojisavljević Strength of Serbia Movement 890 7.19 Dr. Milica Sudarov Democratic Party of Serbia 820 6.63 Dr. Đura Radin G17 Plus 789 6.38 Slavica Tatomir Coalition: DA–SDP–Dr. Nebojša Čović 493 3.99 Milan Stanković Coalition for Kikinda (SPO–NS) 442 3.57 Total valid votes 12,371 100 11,859 100 Invalid ballots 690 436 Total votes casts 13,061 44.55 12,295 41.94

+ 2000 Vojvodina assembly electionKikinda II (constituency seat) Candidate Party or Coalition Result Paja Francuski (incumbent) Democratic Opposition of Serbia (Affiliation: League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina) elected Branislav Blažić (incumbent for Kikinda IV) Serbian Radical Party other candidates

+ 1996 Vojvodina assembly electionKikinda II (constituency seat) Candidate Party or Coalition Result Paja Francuski Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians elected other candidates