Defence Minister Miloš Vučević to lead new Serbian government

Serbian Defence Minister Miloš Vučević is expected to become the country's new prime minister after President Aleksandar Vučić tasked his close party colleague on Saturday with forming the new government.

Vučić made the announcement on Instagram on Saturday more than three months after his Progressive Party (SNS) won the parliamentary elections. Vučević is to replace the previous head of government, Ana Brnabić.

Observers expect a smooth election for Vučević because his party has a comfortable majority in parliament. The 49-year-old lawyer has been deputy prime minister and minister of defence since 2022.

In May 2023, he was also elected president of the SNS, replacing Vučić at the top of the party. However, it is considered an open secret in Serbia that Vučić remains the informal and sole centre of power in the country - although formally, as head of state, he has more ceremonial powers. He has determined the fate of the country in various functions since 2012.

Critics accuse Vučić of having an authoritarian style of government. According to them, he abuses the government apparatus, police and secret services in order to ruin political rivals economically and defame them publicly.

In the early parliamentary elections on December 17, 2023, the SNS received around 47% of the vote. The liberal opposition alliance Serbia Against Violence (SPN) came second with around 23% of the vote.

The election was accompanied by accusations of fraud from the opposition. The OSCE also said that the circumstances of the vote were not fair.

Serbia has been negotiating EU membership since 2014, but talks have been slow. At the same time, Vučić maintains good relations with Russia and China.