Miloš Vucevic, leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), has been appointed by President Aleksandar Vucic to lead the formation of Serbia's new government, Vucic announced on March 30.
Vucevic, a lawyer by trade, is expected to select his cabinet in the coming weeks. The government came to power amid rising tensions with Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, and is also faced with the challenge of maintaining Serbia's relations with Russia and China while pursuing its goal of joining the European Union. You will have to face it.
“I propose Miloš Vucevic as a candidate for Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia to the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia,” Vučić posted on Instagram.
He added that Vucevic “has performed the responsible and demanding duties of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, proving that he has the necessary dedication and expertise to carry out the duties of Prime Minister.”
Vucevic's nomination comes after months of speculation after social media secured victory in the Dec. 17 national election, which was marred by allegations of fraud and subsequent mass protests. .
The SNS holds 113 seats in the 250-seat parliament, but its allies such as the Serbian Socialist Party (SPS) and the Vojvodina Hungarian List have won 13 and 6 seats respectively.
The deadline for forming a new government is May 6, 90 days after parliament enacts the constitution. Failure to form a government within this deadline could lead to the dissolution of parliament.
Vucic will take over the social media reins in 2023 after he steps down from the party's leadership, but he is understood to remain unofficial leader.
He will succeed Ana Brnabic as prime minister. Brnabic is the longest-serving prime minister since 2000, having held the position since 2017. She became Speaker of the Serbian Parliament. In her post on social network X, Brnabic wished Vucevic “good luck and brave new victories!”
The new prime minister will face many challenges both domestically and on the international stage.
Serbia's December 2023 general and municipal elections sparked mass protests, especially as opposition parties claimed fraud in the Belgrade municipal elections, which are currently being re-held.
As the Serbian economy shows strong growth, Belgrade aims to further expand investment. There are also suggestions that the new government may seek to revive Rio Tinto's massive Jadal lithium project, which was stalled after the government revoked its license in 2021. The project has previously been the subject of large-scale protests and remains a politically sensitive issue.
Internationally, Serbia continues to be under pressure from the European Union, which it hopes to join, to align with its foreign policy and impose sanctions against Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Serbia has refused to join the sanctions and has continued to strive to balance relations with the West with friendly relations with Russia and China.
In a controversial move, Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić recently visited Moscow and met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Meanwhile, the recent recommendation to allow Kosovo to join the Council of Europe was a blow to Belgrade, which has long campaigned to keep Kosovo out of international bodies. Nevertheless, Kosovo's candidacy for CoE membership was accepted last year, and a decision on whether to recognize Kosovo is expected to be taken in May.
This came after tensions between Belgrade and Pristina further escalated due to Kosovo's Central Bank's decision to declare the euro as the sole currency for transactions in Kosovo. Until now, the Serbian dinar has been widely used in the Serb-majority areas of northern Kosovo.
