As the deadline to appoint a new Economy Minister expires, Nebojsa Ciric has emerged as the most serious candidate for this key cabinet post.
Nebojsa Ciric is likely to become Serbia’s new Economy Minister, Balkan Insight has learned from a source in the ruling Progressive Party.
“Ciric is experienced in the field, so he has best chances,” the source said, adding that the talks between Ciric and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic have been ongoing.
Ciric was Economy Minister in the Democratic Party-led government from March 2011 until the 2012 elections.
Lazar Krstic resigned as Finance Minister on July 12, citing differences with the Prime Minister over economic reforms. His sudden resignation came after the government gave a green light to a new labour law that has resulted in union protests.
Vucic then said the then Economy Minister, Dusan Vujovic, would move to Finance, while the government would appoint a new Economy Minister by the end of the month.
By law, the Prime Minister must announce the new candidate for the post no more than 15 days after the government agreed the resignation of the previous one.
Krstic was not the first Economy Minister to resign over the pace and form of reforms.
A previous version of the draft Labour Law resulted in the resignation of the then Economy Minister, Sasa Radulovic.
He was pushing for dramatic changes in employment legislation that the government wasn’t ready to make. Soon afterwards, early parliamentary elections were called.
Source balkaninsight.
