Vucic May Move to the Position of Prime Minister of Serbia 0 14

The leadership of the Serbian Progressive Party plans to propose to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to take the post of Prime Minister in the event of early parliamentary elections. This was stated by the Speaker of the Parliament, Ana Brnabic.

According to her, the party leadership intends to discuss with Vucic the possibility of him becoming a candidate for the head of government. Brnabic also noted that the president traditionally invites all political forces to public dialogue.

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic is conducting a series of consultations with representatives of all political parties and movements in the country. The first conversation was held with representatives of the pro-government Socialist Movement, followed by a meeting with a delegation from the Union of Vojvodina Hungarians (a national party allied with the current authorities), and then with representatives of the Party of Justice and Reconciliation (whose electorate mainly consists of residents of Muslim areas of the country).

Leader of the Socialist Movement Aleksandar Vulin, after consultations with President Aleksandar Vucic, called on coalition partners to organize a mandatory referendum on the advisability of further integration of the country into the European Union.

Key points of the statement:

• Disagreement with EU demands: Vulin emphasized that Serbia does not intend to fulfill the key conditions of Brussels: to recognize the independence of Kosovo, impose sanctions against the Russian Federation, and abandon support for the Republic of Srpska.

• Criticism of EU policy: The politician accused the EU of double standards, an anti-Serbian position, and failing to fulfill previous agreements (in particular, regarding the establishment of the Community of Serbian Municipalities). According to him, the EU does not wish to see Serbia as independent and within its current borders.

• The need to know the people's opinion: Vulin noted that since 2000, all governments have declared EU accession as a strategic goal, yet the citizens of Serbia have never been officially asked about their attitude toward this course. The politician believes it is necessary to give the people a chance to express their views in a referendum.

Meanwhile, recently, the head of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ivica Dacic, held telephone talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The conversation took place at the initiative of the Serbian side. The ministers discussed Russian-Serbian partnership, as well as cooperation in key areas. The interlocutors exchanged views on the current situation in the Balkans, noting the fundamental importance of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 in resolving the Kosovo and Metohija issue.