Vucic names academic as PM candidate, as demonstrators take protest to Strasbourg

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic nominated political newcomer Duro Macut, a 62-year-old endocrinologist and university professor, to serve as the country’s next prime minister on Monday, 7 April.

The nomination comes amid ongoing mass protests demanding political accountability for governmental scandals and infrastructure failures.

Macut’s nomination was announced weeks after ex-Serbian prime minister Milos Vucevic resigned in response to public outrage triggered by the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, north Serbia, in November 2024, the death toll for which has now reached 16 people, and brought accusations of government negligence, corruption and mismanagement.

Vucic wrote on Facebook that “Macut possesses professional and personal qualities, dedication and expertise to perform this function. This is a man of conversation, extremely stable, but also of extraordinary courage, who does not give up on his views, despite the pressures and attacks to which he has rarely been exposed.”

Opposition leaders said Macut lacks the necessary political skills and experience. Former Serbian president Boris Tadic, leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, said “Knowledge about polycystic ovaries is not a reference for running the government, which requires a completely different kind of expertise.”

Despite criticism, Macut is expected to secure parliamentary approval from the majority held by Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party, after which he will be required to propose a new cabinet by 18 April.

Protests highlight broader discontent

Meanwhile, some 80 Serbian students are cycling 1,300km from Novi Sad to Strasbourg, France to draw EU attention to Serbia’s alleged democratic backsliding and governmental corruption.

Recent protests have also raised concerns about potential excessive force by Serbian authorities, demonstrators in Belgrade claimed the suspected use of an illegal sonic weapon against them on 15 March 2025, investigations into which are ongoing.

Analysts said the politically inexperienced Macut could struggle to navigate the complexities of governance amid Serbia’s heated political climate, adding that Vucic would likely retain considerable behind-the-scenes influence, with the new PM primarily a figurehead.

Meanwhile opposition demands for systemic reforms, transparency, and accountability intensify. The EU has yet to formally respond to Macut’s nomination.

Vucic added that “Serbia, needs peace, stability and unity today more than ever… Today we and the new Serbian government have big work and difficult tasks. Let’s get Serbia back to the winner’s pedestal. That’s why I suggested Professor Macuta as prime ministerial candidate to Parliament.”