Opposition lawmaker Petar Bošković of the Serbia Centre (SRCE) party has accused the Serbian government of politicizing the country’s armed forces, claiming that the military is being used in ways that undermine its institutional neutrality.
Speaking ahead of a parliamentary debate scheduled for April 15 on a motion of no confidence in the government, Bošković said the discussion should also address broader concerns about the state of democracy in Serbia and the relationship between political leadership and state institutions.
He referred in particular to a recent ceremony marking the anniversary of the Special Military Police Unit “Cobras,” which was attended by President Aleksandar Vučić. Bošković questioned the presence of certain individuals at the event, including the president’s son Danilo Vučić and former minister Aleksandar Vulin, arguing that their attendance was inappropriate for a military occasion.
According to Bošković, such developments reflect a wider trend in which, as he put it, “the state is becoming the private property of one man,” and the military is being drawn into political and symbolic roles.
He further claimed that Serbia is “no longer functioning as a parliamentary democracy,” alleging increased concentration of power and blurred boundaries between state institutions and political leadership.
The Serbian government has not issued a formal response to these latest remarks.
The National Assembly session on the no-confidence motion, submitted by 62 opposition MPs over allegations related to the “General Staff” case, is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. on April 15.
