14-17 November 2023
Farmers’ protests continue, Aleksandar Vučić: “Blackmail before the elections.” Protests that farmers that started on Monday continued during the week with the blocking of roads, primarily in Vojvodina. The farmers are asking for more financial support from the state. Asked about the demands of farmers, President Vučić said on Thursday that it is a blackmail before the elections by fraudsters. “It disgusts me to see these things before every elections,” added Vučić. (Nova.rs (Serbian), 16 November 2023)
Government says agreement reached with striking postal workers, part of them deny it. According to the Serbian Government, an agreement was signed with the postal workers who recently went into a strike. However, other postal workers said that meeting with the Prime Minister was attended by the “so-called representative unions,” three out of the total of six trade unions in the Serbian Post Office. “The strike is not stopping, because we are not represented by unions, especially not by those” added postal workers. (N1 Belgrade, 16 November 2023)
Serbia signs natural gas deal with Azerbaijan. Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedović Handanović and Azerbaijan Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov signed a Memorandum of Understanding – deal that will help Serbia to achieve its “strategic goal of diversifying supplies”. The Serbian ministry said that, according to the deal, Azerbaijan should deliver up to 400 million cubic meters of gas per year until 2026, and a billion meters a year after that. (Balkan Insight, 15 November 2023)
The first convention of the “Serbia against Violence” list held in Belgrade. Pro-EU opposition coalition “Serbia against Violence” has officially started its election campaign in Belgrade and Serbia. Candidate for mayor of Belgrade, Vladimir Obradović, said that he is sure that opposition will win the Belgrade elections. “For us, Belgrade is not a business, but a home,” concluded Obradović. (Danas (Serbian), 16 November 2023)
SPS leader Dačić says alliance with opposition is not an option. Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) leader, Ivica Dačić, said the party’s Main Board unanimously decided that only a coalition with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s party could be considered after the coming elections. Dačić said that under no circumstances would he form an alliance with the opposition and that “forming a coalition with Serbia’s enemies, whether they be false Europeans or false patriots,” is out of the question. (N1 Belgrade, 14 November 2023)
Belgrade-Pristina dialogue continued, Lajčák: Progress on some issues. European Union Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák said on that his meetings with chief negotiators from Belgrade and Priština helped achieve progress on a number of issues. Lajčák discussed the draft statute of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM) with the two negotiators. (RTS (Serbian), 16 November 2023)
