Serbia’s ruling center-right populist party said Saturday it wants to hold early parliamentary elections to push for economic reforms and cement its grip on power in the economically-troubled Balkan country. The leader of the Serbian Progressive Party and deputy prime minister, Aleksandar Vucic, told the party gathering he wants to “test the will of the people” in the polls that are likely to be held in March. The former pro-Russian ultranationalists turned pro-European Union reformers are by far the most popular party in Serbia. Vucic hopes the early vote will give him a mandate to become the prime minister and rule without the support of the Socialists, whose leader, Ivica Dacic, is the current premier.
Vucic, a leading proponent of Serbia’s war campaigns in the Balkans in the 1990s, gained popularity because of his highly publicized anti-corruption campaign and claims he favors radical economic and social reforms that would bring a better life to the population hit by wars, mismanagement and graft.
“We did a lot of good things. We built good foundations,” Vucic told the party meeting. “But I believe we can do better and faster in the future.”
However, Serbian Economy Minister Sasa Radulovic announced his resignation Saturday, saying the government led by Vucic and Dacic lacks political will to adopt his new unpopular labor, bankruptcy and privatization laws because of the upcoming early elections.
Full Article: Serbia to hold early vote in March – CBS Atlanta News.
