Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on Sunday that new elections will be called “very soon,” saying the decision of Serbian voters would be respected in accordance with democratic principles.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting construction works on a bridge over the Velika Morava River near Svilajnac, Vučić said Serbia remains a democratic society where citizens will ultimately determine the country’s political direction.
“Elections will be called very soon. People always make the right decision, ultimately thinking rationally about their families,” Vučić said.
The Serbian president did not specify an exact date for the elections.
New Bridge Expected Within Two Years
During his visit, Vučić also announced that the new 290-meter bridge connecting Svilajnac and Velika Plana is expected to be completed in less than two years.
The project, valued at €26.5 million, is being financed by the Serbian government and forms part of a 3.1-kilometer bypass around Svilajnac.
Vučić said the crossing is a long-awaited infrastructure project, noting that the previous bridge was built by King Alexander more than a century ago.
He also pledged additional state investment for Svilajnac and the wider Pomoravlje region.
Subsidies Planned for Returning Diaspora
Later, during a visit to the Regional Training Center for Dual Lifelong Education in Svilajnac, Vučić announced that the government is preparing a subsidy program aimed at encouraging Serbian citizens living abroad to return home.
“We will soon launch a project to provide subsidies and support for people living abroad who want to return and contribute to making our country proud,” he said.
According to Vučić, most returnees are currently retirees, although some younger families are also relocating back to Serbia.
Government Rejects Calls to Close Thermal Power Plant
Vučić also addressed the future of the Morava thermal power plant, pledging to protect more than 200 jobs linked to the facility.
“As long as I have responsibility in the state, I will not allow it to be shut down,” he said, adding that preserving workers’ livelihoods remains a government priority.
He claimed that both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have repeatedly urged Serbia to close the plant but insisted his government would resist those demands.
“They only ask when we will close the thermal power plant. We will not close it because people earn their living there,” Vučić said.
