There is no doubt that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has once again launched a campaign to secure the prime minister's seat.
Vučić has announced the "Serbia 2035" plan, which he is expected to present at a large rally in March.
Although the content of this plan has not yet been made public, the fact that Vučić openly plans to stay in power for almost another decade, according to Nova.rs, shows a kind of “Belarusian operation” and exposes his ambition to become a new Aleksandar Lukashenko.
Since, according to the Constitution, he can no longer continue as president, Vučić has decided to also aim for the post of prime minister.
However, the main problem remains the question of who will be the new candidate of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in the presidential elections.
It is clear that none of the names that have been mentioned in public so far as possible candidates guarantee a sure victory.
For this reason, it would not be surprising if the government used a maneuver similar to the one that the leader of the Radicals, Vojislav Seselj, has been promoting recently.
Specifically, he has proposed a change to the Constitution that would allow Vučić's successor to be elected no longer through presidential elections, but by the Assembly.
This would be an ideal exit strategy for progressives, given that they have a two-thirds majority in the Assembly, which would allow them to amend the highest legal act of the state.
For months now, there has been speculation about who the Serbian Progressive Party's candidate will be in the presidential elections, as it is more than clear that the current president of Serbia has chosen to aim for the post of prime minister.
So far, only a few names have been mentioned in the media as possible successors to Vučić, including Tomislav Nikolic, Ana Brnabić, and Miloš Vučević.
However, considering the significant decline in support for the SNS, which has been evidenced in many public opinion polls in recent months, it remains uncertain whether any of Vučić's associates would be able to secure victory.
It is also clear that losing the presidency would be a major blow to the Serbian Progressive Party, so they are doing everything in their power to prevent it. Thus, a great puzzle arises for them, the solution to which was made public by the radical leader and political mentor of Aleksandar Vučić, Vojislav Šešelj.
This week, Seselj declared that the Constitution of Serbia should be amended so that the Assembly has the right to elect the President of the Republic and, if necessary, replace him.
"The constitution should be changed and the president should be elected in the National Assembly; this is more democratic. People think it is more democratic when the people choose, but no – the president cannot be replaced that way," Seselj said.
Speaking about the upcoming elections, he added that the SRS is in a coalition with the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and will not "impose" itself on other coalitions before the elections.
"Regarding the parliamentary elections, I am convinced that if the patriotic parties form a unified coalition, there is no opposing coalition that can defeat us," he said.
Vučić: We will present the program we will implement
Vučić announced last week that a large rally will be organized in front of the National Assembly or at “Trg Republike” in Belgrade around March 20. During this event, the “Serbia 2035” plan will be presented, which, according to Nova.rs, indicates that Vučić plans to stay in power for at least another decade.
"Here's exclusive news for you. We will wait for all their anniversaries to pass and somewhere on March 20, 21 or 22, we will present the 'Serbia 2035' program to a large number of citizens, to show people how much we respect and love them, and what we have done, to present accounts, reports and to present the program of what we will do," he said.
Previously, the SNS leader had announced that the "Serbia 2035" plan has been worked on for a long time and that they intend to present it to citizens by March 1, writes index.hr.
A blow to the prosecution
Nova.rs recalls that the Serbian president's aspirations to stay in power for decades are not new. According to this portal, this is clearly seen in Vučić's close ties with numerous European and world autocrats. The most obvious example is the relationship between Vučić and Belarusian President Aleksandar Lukashenko, who has been in power for 31 years.
This is why, as Nova.rs writes, the question arises whether Vučić plans to include a scheme for transforming Serbia into "his own Belarus" in what the portal calls a "pre-prime ministerial exhibition", which will probably be presented to his supporters in March.
The portal emphasizes that, while this is expected, the regime's unprecedented attack on the prosecution is already becoming apparent. According to some experts, the legal changes that have been adopted fundamentally change the competencies and structure of the prosecution in Serbia and paralyze the work of the Public Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime.
The legal amendments, approved by Parliament a few days ago and subsequently signed by Vučić, also change the powers of the High Prosecutorial Council. According to Nova.rs, the biggest winner of these changes will be Nenad Stefanović, the chief prosecutor of the High Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, who will be able to act without real control and who has already shown a clear pro-regime bias.
"Absolute power is never given up voluntarily and without reason"
The editor of "New Serbian Political Thought", Djordje Vukadinovic, told Nova.rs that Vucic's ambition to "rule for life" is not at all surprising.
"This was clear to anyone who wanted to see it when Vučić came to power. Now it has only deepened. All the announcements and statements that he was retiring from politics deceived and reassured his opponents, while sowing false hopes. Absolute power is never given up voluntarily and without reason," Vukadinović asserted.
He added that the announcement of the "Serbia 2035" plan may have surprised some, but in fact Vučić has declared his intentions almost openly.
"He can say that this plan has nothing to do with him, but with Serbia, which 'must progress'. It is clear that he now plans to be prime minister and change the position by rotation, but will retain the absolute power he had as president, for which he had no constitutional authority. It is completely irrelevant what his position is called; he may be a thief in the government, but the stick will be with him," Vukadinović noted.
Long-term plans and visions already presented
Srgjan Cvijic, a former diplomat and president of the International Advisory Board of the Belgrade Center for Security Policy, also believes that Vučić has no intention of leaving power.
"They are afraid and aware that leaving power will not only mean political retirement, but also criminal proceedings. This is an all-or-nothing game, and the president intends to stay in power for life," Cvijic stressed.
He added that so far, the plans have been presented as part of an ongoing campaign that has been underway since 2012.
"It's something that serves the public, knowing what the situation is in the state treasury. Those plans are not relevant for a serious analysis; they only serve to prolong the government as long as possible," Cvijic said.
Nova.rs' interlocutor concluded that he fears that this government will not allow itself to lose the elections.
The portal recalls that Serbia has seen the presentation of long-term plans and visions several times during Vučić's government. At the end of 2019, the "Serbia 2025" plan was presented, which, according to Vučić's statements at the time, had a total value of 14 billion euros.
A new plan was then presented, which extended until 2027 and had a value of 17.8 billion euros, the year in which the EXPO exhibition is also held. /Telegraph/
