Serbia has a new government

Serbia’s new government will be headed by Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. After a two-day debate about the proposal for constituting the government and the plan of Ana Brnabic, the MPs adopted the proposal and programme of the Government by public roll-call. Out of 212 MPs who were present, 157 voted in favor and 55 were opposed, while there were no abstentions.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and President Aleksandar Vucic (back)

In the new cabinet, which is basically the reconstructed cabinet of the former Prime Minister and current President Aleksandar Vucic, there will be 22 members.

Three ministers will be without portfolio, 18 will head the ministries, while four Deputy-PMs will help PM in conducting the Government politics.

Among them is the leader of Socialist party of Serbia (SPS) Ivica Dacic whom President Vucic called in a statement as the “Prime Minister for politics.”

The members of the Government took an oath in the Serbian Assembly on Thursday, after which their mandate began.

President of Serbia Aleksandra Vucic, President of the Assembly of Vojvodina Istvan Pastor, mayor of Belgrade Sinisa Mali, representatives of judicial bodies, Serbian Army, security services, religious communities and diplomatic corps attended the oath ceremony.

In her first address as the Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic said that she will perform her duties responsibly and honestly.

“I can promise to all citizens of Serbia that I will do my best every day to perform my duties as best I can. Thanks to the entire team in the Government of Serbia for accepting the invitation to work together. I have already worked with these people and I expect that we will immediately start working hard. Serbia has no time to lose, and, once again, I promise to the citizens that we will do our best,” said PM Brnabic.

Those who voted against the new Government are Democratic Party (DS), Social Democratic Party (SDS), Serbian Radical Party (SRS), Democratic Party of Serbia, Movement Doors (Dveri), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV), and MPs of SDA Sandzak and New Party.

This is the fifth government since 1990 when a multi-party system was introduced in Serbia.

During the presentation of the plan and members of the cabinet, Brnabic invited MPs from the Serbian Parliament to join her team in building a better life and better future for all citizens in Serbia.

She also said that she will defend her team's decisions with dignity.

Digitalization, education, and economic development will be the key priorities of the new government, said Brnabic.

She emphasized that this is a government of continuity with good foundations laid by the former PM and current President Aleksandar Vucic.

Sasa Dragojlo