Clinical case: an endocrinologist may become the new Prime Minister of Serbia

The candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Serbia, Juro Matsut, will receive majority support in parliament, and a government will be formed. This was stated to Izvestia by the head of the Committee on Diaspora and Serbs of the region, Dragan Stanojevic. President of the Republic Alexander Vucic has nominated endocrinologist Juro Matsuta for the post of Prime Minister. His appointment is a step towards a non—partisan government, it is necessary to calm the protests, but the opposition will not stop them, Stanojevic believes. The candidacy of an unprofessional politician is a way to start a dialogue with the protesters, experts say. Whether the new appointment will help put an end to the political crisis in Serbia is in the Izvestia article.

Who will become the new Prime Minister of Serbia

The candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Serbia, Juro Matsut, will receive majority support in parliament, thanks to which a government will be formed, Dragan Stanojevic, head of the Committee on Diaspora and Serbs in the region, told Izvestia.

— Vucic chose a compromise figure because Juro Matsut is not a party man, it goes in the direction of a non—party government. He will receive majority support and a government will be formed. There is no exact date (for consideration of candidacy — Ed.), perhaps on the 18th," the politician said.

Earlier, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he would give the mandate to form a new government to Professor of medicine, endocrinologist Juro Matsuta. He noted that Matsut possesses the professional and personal qualities necessary for this post, and is able to perform the duties of Prime Minister. Matsut was born in 1963, he is a graduate of the Medical Faculty of the University of Belgrade.

"I think he will bring something new to our public life and greatly help in reducing tension in the country," Vucic said.

Recall that the current Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned at the end of January amid mass protests. The reason for them was the tragedy that happened in November 2024. At that time, a 50-meter canopy made of concrete, metal and glass collapsed at the Novi Sad railway station. As a result, 15 people died, including three children. All of them are Serbian citizens, except for one— a citizen of North Macedonia.

After that, protests began demanding that officials responsible for the safety of the facilities be punished. In addition to the rallies, there are strikes by students and employees. In January, protesters blocked Avtokommando, the largest transport interchange in the Serbian capital. The actions take place not only in Belgrade, but also in other cities of the country.

Will the new prime minister be able to stop the protests

Despite the appointment of a new head of government, the students and the opposition will not stop. The next cabinet is likely to be formed at Vucic's request, Dragan Stanojevic told Izvestia.

"And a lot will depend on this, too: whether there will be party people or professional people," he said.

At the same time, Djuro Matsut, although non-partisan, is a member of the public organization Movement for the People and the State, which was created by the Serbian leader. He also supported the pro-presidential party list "Serbia must not stop" in the parliamentary elections in 2023.

Vucic made a very unusual move, entrusting the formation of a new government to a man who, at first glance, was as far removed from professional politics as possible. Perhaps the main detail of his political reputation in the light of recent events is a lecture to students at the Pioneer Park in Belgrade, where Matsut expressed the idea that politics should not be a part of university life. In fact, he opposed the rallies in the country in this way. Based on this, the figure of a university professor in the prime minister's chair does not look like a concession to the protesting students, Daniil Rastegaev, a junior researcher at the Department of Political Science at the INION RAS, told Izvestia.

— The appointment of an unprofessional politician to the post of head of the executive branch of government may indicate that Vucic is not ready for serious political changes. Obviously, he has relied on a loyal leader, a technocrat who will not have serious political ambitions. However, everything will depend on Matsuta's first steps in his new post," the expert emphasized.

On the other hand, it should be considered as a kind of multi-step by Vucic, for which it is not yet fully clear what is behind, INF program manager Milan Lazovich told Izvestia.

— This is a key point that is unlikely to quell the discontent of the protesters. Obviously, the appointment is seen by the president as a step towards dialogue with the protesters, although a newcomer was chosen as a mediator, but more loyal to the current authorities," the political scientist concluded.

The nomination of an unprofessional politician as a candidate for the post of prime minister is a signal from the Serbian authorities that they are ready for dialogue with the protesters. Earlier, the mayor of Novi Sad, Milan Djuric, resigned, which was also demanded by the protesting students. However, the stabilization of the political situation also depends on Belgrade's ability to withstand external pressure. Against the background of political turmoil inside the country, the situation on the external contour has worsened: Albania, Croatia and the self-proclaimed Kosovo have formed a military alliance, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the prosecution of the head of the Republika Srpska (an entity within BiH) Milorad Dodik has begun.