Ana Brnabić in Speaker’s chair
Photo: FoNet
BELGRADE – Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister of Serbia from 2017 to 2024, was elected today as the new President of the National Assembly of Serbia (Speaker of Parliament). She was elected after a three-day session filled with tensions and polarising rhetoric.
Brnabić was nominated by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and smaller parties which are expected to once again form the next government.
Ivica Dačić, leader of SPS and First Deputy Prime Minister, is expected to formally act as Prime Minister until the election of the new government. The nominee for the new Prime Minister is yet to be revealed by SNS.
After her election, Brnabić chaired the votes on the remaining points of the agenda, including the election of Vice Presidents of the Assembly, members of committees and members of parliamentary delegations.
All the votes passed, concluding the constituent session of parliament. The session began on 6 February, but it was delayed for more than a month.
Opposition coalitions “Serbia Against Violence” and NADA refused to nominate Vice Presidents and committee chairs as a protest against election irregularities, documented by the observers, that marred the December election.
Before the election of Brnabić, the session was, according to the rules of procedure, chaired by the oldest MP. In this case, it was mathematician Stojan Radenović, elected on the SNS list.
The session spanned three days and was filled with tense moments and heated rhetoric, with many MPs avoiding the point of the agenda.
Opposition protested the way in which December elections were held and accused the members of the ruling party of the involvement in corruption and organized crime. They also accused the chair Radenović of violating the rules of procedure and not giving them opportunities to reply when he was supposed to do so.
On several occasions, members of the opposition left their seats and protested in front of the chair, or left the hall.
Ruling majority also repeatedly attacked members of the opposition, accusing them of corruption at the time some of them were in power (before 2012) and of serving the interests of foreign countries.
Brnabić also participated in the polarising exchanges. She has been elected as the Speaker despite not being an MP before, except for a short period between 2022 elections and the election of the government.
