The Student List, which secured a parliamentary majority in Serbia’s recent elections, plans to increase defence spending to 5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), according to Luka Ponorac, a representative of the political movement and former Serbian Army officer.
Speaking to RTS, Ponorac said the proposal would represent an increase of approximately three percentage points compared with current defence spending, which has generally ranged between 2 and 2.5 percent of GDP.
He stressed, however, that implementing the plan would depend on the actual financial and human resources available to the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces when the new government takes office.
The Student List also intends to continue modernizing the military while ensuring balanced development across all branches and services.
“We aim to increase spending by three percentage points, reaching the five percent allocated to the armed forces in countries in our immediate and wider neighbourhood,” Ponorac said.
The proposed reforms also include a salary increase of between 20 and 30 percent for military personnel, alongside measures to address what the Student List describes as inequalities in the military pay system.
Ponorac pointed to disparities in salaries, noting that members of special forces can earn more than certain generals, while professors at the Military Academy, including colonels holding doctoral degrees, may receive lower salaries than majors serving in military units because they do not receive additional field-service allowances.
The Student List has also outlined several priorities for military procurement and modernization.
These include acquiring rocket artillery systems with ranges of between 150 and 300 kilometres, developing a strategic air defence system covering short, medium and long ranges, and strengthening military communications, command and control capabilities.
The proposed investments would also include intelligence-sharing systems, aerial surveillance and early-warning equipment, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).
In addition, the political movement plans to strengthen the role of military expert councils, the Military Technical Institute and the Technical Test Centre.
Ponorac also said that the activities of Serbia’s security services should be brought back within the framework of the law, with individual accountability examined in cases involving potential unlawful conduct.
