New prime minister in Serbia: Macut is supposed to tame chaos after misfortune

New prime minister in Serbia: Macut is supposed to tame chaos after misfortune

Novi Sad, Serbien - Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić surprisingly appointed medical professor Djuro Macut as the new prime minister. Macut, a specialized endocrinologist, is politically largely unknown, but firmly rooted in science and is considered a leading endocrinologist in Serbia. According to Kosmo , Vučić justifies the decision with MacUT's "professional and personal qualities" and expects him to preserve peace and stability in the country. Macut must present a new government by April 18 and secure parliamentary confirmation to avoid new elections.

The appointment takes place in the middle of a deep political crisis that was triggered by a wave of protests after a train station may have collapsed in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. The protest movement blames systematic corruption and official incompetence for the tragedy and calls for fundamental reforms to strengthen the rule of law structures as well as measures against briefness and mismanagement. Against the background of these protests, the government under Vučić has lost its support among the population. Tagesschau reports that Macut was awarded an order by the President until a year ago, which underlines his close bond with the government.

protests and social support

In the event of a commemoration of the victims of the accident in March 2023, over 300,000 people protested, which was considered greater than the mass protests in 2000, which led to the fall of Slobodan Milošević. The protest movement receives broad support from various parts of society, including university professors and students. In particular, the student movement has demanded that a new political system be created that guarantees democracy, media freedom and the rule of law. IPG emphasizes that 59% of the population supports the protests, while only a third of the president is behind Vučić.

differences of opinion on macut's suitability. Critics, including Pavle Grbovic from the "Movement of Free Citizens", argue that Macut's scope for maneuver will be severely restricted by the influential Serbian progress party (SNS). Aleksandar Olenik from the League of the Social Democrats of Vojvodina expresses that its appointment symbolically stands for Vučić's persistent control over the government. Macut itself has already expressed himself in the past and was criticized when he took part in an anti-protest camp criticized as a staged.

Future of Serbian politics

The political landscape in Serbia is fragile, and the opposition plans a "government of national trust" in order to address the specific demands of the protest movement. Above all, this opposition wants to educate the misfortune and prepare fair elections, but rejects a participation in new elections, provided the current power apparatus remains in power. Vučić itself has rejected a model for a transitional government, while the EU is reserved in its reaction, although economic interest in projects in Serbia continues to exist.