Serbia's New Government To Be In Power Until Early Elections In 2022

BELGRADE – Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says the country’s new government will remain in power until new elections are held in less than two years.

Vucic heads the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which dominates parliament following general elections in June that were boycotted by Serbia’s main opposition parties.

He said in Belgrade on October 20 that the new government will be led by Ana Brnabic, the prime minister of the previous government, and will include all the parties that entered parliament — the SNS, the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), the Serbian Patriotic Alliance (SPAS), and representatives of national minorities.

The next parliamentary polls will be held by April 2022 at the latest, along with a presidential election, Vucic told a news conference after meeting the SNS leadership.

The president said he wanted the new government to focus its efforts on reforms, not to “have a four-year mandate to enjoy.”

Vucic said he planned to announce the names of the new ministers on October 25 and that he expects Brnabic to present its program three days later.

Major opposition parties boycotted the July election to protest against what they say is Vucic’s increasingly autocratic rule over the country, which is seeking membership in the European Union.

Following the vote, his opponents held rallies in Belgrade to protest against the government’s policies, including its handling of the coronavirus crisis.

With reporting by Reuters