Serbia’s President Vucic taps novice prime minister amid protest pressure | News

Nomination of endocrinologist Djuro Macut likely to pass parliament despite opposition fury.

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic has nominated a politically inexperienced endocrinologist and university professor as prime minister, amid massive ongoing protests that forced the previous premier to resign.

Vucic announced the nomination of 62-year-old Djuro Macut weeks after the resignation of Milos Vucevic was approved by parliament on March 19 amid violence at the protests, which are focused on the president’s authoritarian stance and government corruption.

Opposition parties were quick to reject the nomination of the Belgrade University lecturer, who had previously backed Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

They claimed that Macut would be beholden to directions from Vucic, who is trying to maintain his 12-year grip on power.

“The prime minister-designate can be anyone or nobody as long as Vucic remains the head of the state,” said Pavle Grbovic, head of the Movement of Free Citizens party.

“Knowledge about polycystic ovaries is not a reference for running the government, which requires a completely different kind of expertise,” said Boris Tadic, a former president and head of the opposition Social Democratic Party.

However, Macut is unlikely to encounter heavy resistance on his way to becoming prime minister since the SNS, which he will also formally lead, controls parliament.

With the government having been run by technocrats since parliament accepted Vucevic’s resignation on March 19, Macut must now form a government and present it to the house by April 18.

A swift confirmation process could signal political continuity for Vucic to both domestic and international audiences, with European Union accession talks still on the line for Serbia.

However, the protests, which have spiralled since the collapse of a railway station roof in Novi Sad last November that killed 16 people, have not died down, particularly in Belgrade and Novi Sad.

The tragedy was attributed to government corruption and mismanagement, leading to a public outcry and demands for accountability.

Serbian authorities have occasionally used forceful tactics against protesters, but most demonstrations have proceeded without major incidents or deaths.

The protests, which have seen organisers working hard to keep their distance from all political parties, have continued in varying forms.

A group of about 80 Serbian university students embarked on a 1,300km (807-mile) journey from Novi Sad to Strasbourg in France on bicycles to draw EU attention to their cause.

Macut’s nomination is likely to test the mood, however, with the protesters having demanded a transitional government and for Vucic to step down.