Belgrade, (EFE).- Serbia’s Parliament has confirmed a new government led by Djuro Macut, a 62-year-old endocrinologist and political novice, in a move widely seen as an effort by President Aleksandar Vucic to regain control during a wave of ongoing antigovernment protests.
Macut, previously unknown to the Serbian public and without prior political experience, was backed by 153 lawmakers in the 250-seat Parliament.
His appointment comes at a time when Serbia has been rocked by mass demonstrations for nearly six months, sparked by a deadly train station collapse and growing public anger over alleged government corruption and authoritarianism.
The protests, led largely by university students, began after 16 people were killed in November when the roof of a newly renovated railway station in Novi Sad collapsed.
Protesters blame the disaster on corrupt contracts involving Chinese firms and insufficient state oversight.
Macut, a professor of medicine and internationally recognized expert in endocrinology made his political debut only in January when he addressed a rally in of President Vucic’s nationalist movement.
An expert in endocrinology, made his political debut only in January when he addressed a rally in of President Vucic’s nationalist movement.
In his first official address to lawmakers, he emphasized restoring order in universities and upholding Serbia’s territorial claims over Kosovo.
“I want to help my country with knowledge, experience, and international credibility,” Macut said while reiterating his loyalty to the government’s core agenda, including for Bosnian Serb leaders pushing for secession in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Critics, however, have expressed deep skepticism over the new government’s independence.
They claim that the real power remains with Vucic, who has held top positions in Serbia since 2014, either as prime minister or president.
Though Macut is not a member of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), his appointment is seen by many as symbolic, allowing Vucic to maintain control behind the scenes.
Opposition leaders and student groups have particularly denounced the inclusion of two controversial ministers in the new cabinet, an education minister who has vocally opposed the student protests, and an information minister known for pro-Russian views and a history of publicly burning the European Union flag.
“These appointments make it clear that the new cabinet is not about reform or dialogue, but about repression,” said one opposition lawmaker. “This is Vicuc’s government in all but name.”
The previous prime minister, Milos Vucecic, resigned in January after of the SNS assaulted a group of student protesters, seriously injuring one young woman.
His departure did not become effective until mid-March.
Macut’s confirmation also signals the further consolidation of power around Vucic’s newly proposed political movement “For the People and the State,” where SNS plays a central role.
The movement was launched in a major rally last weekend in Belgrade.
As public frustration grows and academic institutions remain occupied by protesters, many analysts see the appointment of a political outsider like Macut as a strategy to deflect criticism without initiating genuine change.
Whether this new government can calm tensions or further inflame them remains to be seen. For now, the students occupying Serbia’s universities show no sign of backing down.
Their message remains clear: they demand ability, transparency, and what they call a creeping autocracy under Aleksandar Vucic’s rule. EFE
int-seo/dgp
