Vučić and Brnabić broke the record: the longest government formation in the last 20 years

Serbia did not get a new government even 115 days after the parliamentary elections, which surpassed the record held by the second government of Vojislav Kostunica until yesterday, whose formation lasted one day less. Twenty days remain until the legal deadline for the government election expires, but it is already certain that Ana Brnabić will be the head of government who waits the longest in the last two decades in her second term.

Unlike the situation that preceded the election of the second Kostunica government, which was formed in May 2007, the parliamentary majority was barely achieved, so it was not known until the last moment who would do it, this time it is not the case .

The number of mandates won by the Serbian Progressive Party in the June 21 elections (188 out of 250) allowed Aleksandar Vučić’s party to form the executive branch completely independently, which in theory could have been done in August, shortly after the constitution of the new parliament.

In practice, however, things were completely different, because the mandate for the composition of the new government was entrusted to the Prime Minister in the technical mandate, Ana Brnabić, one hundred and a half days after the holding of the parliamentary elections. This is where all the powers of the Serbian president end, who, some would say only formally, transferred the ball called “cabinet composition” to the president’s yard.

So much has taken over in such a short time, but not the government

When asked by H1 why it took him 106 days to entrust the mandate to the prime minister who is already in that position, Vučić said “that he needs to make a concept of what his government will be like” and that he spoke with everyone.

“I worked hard every day, I had several difficult trips and conversations, do not forget that during that time I was with President Putin, officials from Brussels, Erdogan, Trump in Washington, Macron, look how much it costs in such a short time,” he recalled. President of Serbia.

Vučić: “Formation of a new government no later than August 25”

The consultations on the formation of the new government that President Vučić carried out with the representatives of the parliamentary parties have almost fallen into oblivion, so it is no worse to remember that they began exactly three months ago. In announcing consultations with the leaders of the parties that approved the electoral roll, Vučić said on July 7 that he expected “the formation of the government to be completed by August 25 at the latest.”

“I wouldn’t rule out that it would be much sooner,” Vucic added at the time, with a fairly large dose of certainty.

Ten days after the mandate was entrusted to Ana Brnabić, it is not known how many ministries the new government will have, much less who will be in charge. The public does not even know which parties will form the new government, but the truth is that it will be a cabinet whose election has been awaited the longest since spring 1998.

It should be remembered that the absolute record in the duration of the formation of the executive branch in the multiparty history of Serbia is held by the second government of Mirko Marjanović, who was elected 184 days after the September 1997 elections for deputies.

Marjanovic and members of his cabinet were sworn in on March 24, 1998, and one of the ministers of that government was the current president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, who at that time was in charge of the information department.

Time for which governments were formed after 2000:

Second government of Ana Brnabić (2020) -?

The second government of Vojislav Kostunica (2007) – 114 days

The second government of Aleksandar Vučić (2016) – 109 days

Government of Ivica Dačić (2012) – 82 days

The first government of Vojislav Kostunica (2004) – 66 days

Government of Mirko Cvetković (2008) – 57 days

Aleksandar Vučić’s first government (2014) – 42 days

Government of Zoran Djindjic (2001) – 33 days