Thewesternbalkans.
The new Serbian government, led by Đuro Măsut, must be elected by midnight on Friday, April 18, or early parliamentary elections will be called.
On March 19, the Serbian Parliament accepted the resignation of the current Prime Minister Miloš Vučević.
He resigned on January 28, explaining that he felt responsible for the fact that members of the Serbian Progressive Party, of which he is president, had beaten a student in Novi Sad the day before, one of the participants in the protests and blockades organized after the fall of the canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad.
On April 15, the mandate holder for the formation of the new government, Đuro Măsut, presented his program to the Serbian Parliament.
According to him, the new government will continue the comprehensive reform of the judicial system, based on European values and the needs of the society. The plans include harmonization with European legislation and the necessary changes to the criminal code. Efforts will be made to counter the division in society, changes in the education system are promised.
Comment: The formulations of Serbia’s “European path” are also reflected in the proposed new government composition, which includes fewer pro-Russian members, and their main representative, Vulin, is not included in the government at the insistence of Brussels.
But only eight of the 31 people are completely new. According to the proposed cabinet lineup revealed on 14 April, key ministers from the outgoing Vucevic government—including those responsible for finance, foreign affairs, interior, and energy—are set to retain their posts. The limited scope of the cabinet reshuffle signals policy continuity across most sectors and is unlikely to ease public dissatisfaction over perceived corruption, public sector inefficiencies, and weak democratic institutions.
