Serbia’s opposition party Serbia Centre (SRCE) has accused the government of failing to address the country’s worsening energy crisis, warning that the national energy sector is “on its knees” and closer than ever to collapse.
In a statement issued on Sunday, SRCE said that the combination of extreme summer temperatures and historically low water levels has placed Serbia’s energy system under severe strain. The party argued that a responsible government would have already implemented contingency measures prepared in advance to manage the crisis.
Instead, SRCE accused Prime Minister Đuro Macut’s cabinet of lacking both a strategy and the capacity to respond effectively.
“The Serbian energy sector is on its knees, and an energy collapse has never been closer,” the party said, attributing the situation to what it described as years of corruption and mismanagement by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), led by President Aleksandar Vučić.
The opposition also questioned whether the government’s emergency response meeting would produce meaningful results, arguing that authorities have failed to develop a comprehensive plan for dealing with periods of exceptionally high electricity demand.
SRCE further criticized the absence of Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) Director Dušan Živković from the emergency headquarters session, noting that he had recently been among the few officials attempting to reassure the public about the stability of the electricity supply.
According to the party, Serbia’s energy sector has been left in the hands of what it described as unqualified leadership, while political authorities have focused on patronage and corruption instead of long-term investments and energy security.
The statement also dismissed recent assurances by Prime Minister Macut that government institutions are monitoring the situation daily and taking all necessary measures to ensure a stable electricity supply. SRCE argued that such statements lack credibility without a concrete emergency plan or structural reforms to strengthen the country’s energy infrastructure.
The criticism comes as Serbia faces increased pressure on its electricity system amid prolonged heatwaves, rising power consumption, and reduced hydropower generation caused by low river levels.
