WAS disappointed with proposals for Serbia's new government, Vuciq says it “selects citizens”

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vuciq said on 1 May that he was unhappy with the American State Department's response to proposals that Aleksandar Vulin and Nenad Popovic, who are under sanctions from the United States, be in Serbia's new government.

“I hope we have good relations with our American partners. It is extremely important that we have good relations. I am not satisfied with their reaction, but the government of Serbia is elected by the citizens of Serbia”, Vuciq said.

The 1st is scheduled to hold Serbia's Parliament hearing, where the election of Serbia's new government will be discussed. Minister without a portfolio has been nominated Nenad Popovic, while Aleksandar Vulin for deputy prime minister.

In an answer to Radio Free Europe, the US State Department stated that the US is “disappointed” by the Vulin and Popovic proposal, and added that both remain under sanctions because the US's attitude towards them is “well known”.

They have also stated that the US does not play any role in the decisions of the Government of Serbia personnel.

This means that when they impose sanctions against someone, we should humble ourselves and say thank you for informing us who should not be anything, Vuciq said.

Nenad Popovic has been sanctioned by the US since November 2023, while sanctions on Volin were imposed in July the same year. They're both in the <x0 player black”, among other things, because of their connections to the Kremlin.

I also heard on the other hand that we have a lot of Europhamatics [in government] and that they're pro-Americans, but the others were kind enough not to talk about it publicly. It is important that the Government is Serbian and that it will implement the interests of the Republic of Serbia”, Vuciqi added.

As Milos Vuchev announced, head of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the new cabinet will have 25 ministries and five ministers without portfolios.

Former diplomacy chief Ivica Dacic will head the Ministry of Internal Affairs, while defence minister will be Bratislav Gashic, former Police Minister.

Marko Djuric, former ambassador of Serbia to the United States and former director of the Office for Kosovo, joins the Government as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the new government, there will be several new names, such as SNS senior official Darko Glisic, and 13 ministers remain at the helm of the same portfolios as in the previous government.

Serbia's new government will take office after the December elections, in which they won over half the majority in the republican assembly.

Opposition coalitions -- Serbia against violence and NADA -- accused the Serbian Progressive Party-led coalition (SNS) of election theft.

Numerous irregularities during the extraordinary parliamentary, provincial and local elections held on December 17th in Serbia have been noted by international and local monitoring missions.

Authorities have repeatedly denied there have been more serious election irregularities.

In February, the European Parliament adopted a resolution requiring authorities in Serbia to facilitate an international investigation into alleged irregularities, with specific reference to the Belgrade City Assembly elections.