Opposition protests in the plenary hall, 6 February 2024
Photo: FoNet
BELGRADE – The first session of the new Serbian parliament was held today, lasting only about twenty minutes and covering only the first point on the agenda, the verification of mandates of the MPs. Opposition MPs staged a protest in the plenary hall, raising signs and blowing whistles before leaving to take the oath separately from the ruling party MPs. They rejected the regularity of the elections held in December.
The session was called last week with six items on the agenda: verification of mandates, election of the new President of the National Assembly (speaker), election of Vice Presidents and secretary general of the Assembly, as well as members of committees and parliamentary delegations.
Only the first item of the agenda was covered by the MPs before the session was adjourned until an unspecified date. The candidate of the ruling majority for the new speaker of the parliament is unknown amid speculations that the current speaker, Vladimir Orlić, will get a ministerial position in the new government.
First session of the new parliament of Serbia, 6 February 2024
Photo: FoNet
The protest of the opposition started immediately after the performance of the national anthem of Serbia. The signs held by the “Serbia Against Violence” MPs read “Annul the elections”. There was also a picture of Aleksandar Vučić with the title “mafia chief”.
MPs of the conservative NADA coalition held signs accusing the ruling parties of the betrayal of Kosovo. “You are paying election ‘victories’ with Kosovo losses”, reads one of the signs.
Meanwhile, MPs of the ruling SNS responded by raising pictures of graphs on the Serbian economy. A banner presumably brought by the SNS supporters was hung over the gallery, reading “DOS thieves, you want to steal from Serbia once again, no chance!”, referring to the coalition that took over power from Milošević regime in 2000.
After the verification of mandates, a ceremonial taking of the oath was held. MPs from the “Serbia Against Violence” and NADA left the plenary hall and took the oath outside.
Protest of the NADA MPs. Signs read “Betrayal will not pass, Kosovo is Serbia” and “You are paying election ‘victories’ with Kosovo losses”
Photo: FoNet
“They have stolen their mandates. Their mandates do not reflect the will of the citizens. They have usurped them… And this is why they do not dare to compete in a fair way nowhere, even here in the assembly hall, and that is why they brought a police cordon with them to enclose us”, said Miroslav Aleksić, co-leader of the “Serbia Against Violence” list after the oath ceremony.
Previously, opposition MPs informed the media that they were unexpectedly searched by the police ahead of the session.
In a press conference, president of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Miloš Vučević condemned the actions of the opposition.
“They have not taken an oath to the those who elected them, they haven’t taken the oath to the fatherland, they have not taken the responsibility that citizens gave to them in fair and democratic elections”, Vučević said.
MPs from the new right-wing populist the group of citizens “We – The Voice from the People” led by Branimir Nestorović criticized other opposition MPs. “Scandalous, pro-Western opposition is carrying out its shameful tasks. This is violence against Serbia”, reads the title of a video from the session published on the YouTube channel of the organization.
As per the Rules of Procedure, the session was chaired by the oldest MP, mathematician Stojan Radenović, who was elected as a candidate on the list of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. He was helped by the youngest MPs on the four largest lists, one of whom was Marko Milošević, grandson of Slobodan Milošević, elected on the list of the Socialist Party of Serbia.
The composition of the new parliament
According to the final results of the December 2023 parliamentary election, list “Aleksandar Vučić – Serbia Must Not Stop” won an outright majority of 129 out of 250 seats. The largest opposition coalition “Serbia Against Violence” won 65 seats, the Socialist Party of Serbia won 18, while the conservative NADA coalition and “We – The Voice from the People” won 13 seats each. Twelve seats were won by the national minority parties.
Of the 129 seats won by the “Serbia Must Not Stop” list, Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) won 110, while 19 seats were allocated to its smaller partners.
Meanwhile, of the 65 seats won by the “Serbia Against Violence”, 17 were allocated to the People’s Movement of Serbia, led by Miroslav Aleksić, of which 5 belong to the association Ecological Uprising, led by Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta. Freedom and Justice Party led by Dragan Đilas has 16 seats, while the Green-Left Front has 10 seats.
Serbia Center (SRCE) led by former opposition presidential candidate Zdravko Ponoš has 9 seats, Democratic Party (DS) has 8 (4 seats officially won by the “Together” party, but its candidates are DS members). Free Citizens Movement (PSG) has 3 and the newly-founded New Face of Serbia (NLS) has 2.
