After consultations with the coalition majority in parliament, President Vučić announced on Sunday evening that he had nominated Professor Dr. Đuro Macut to be the new prime minister. This comes after former Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned in January 2025 to try to quell the protests.
Vučić’s announcement came into effect upon its publication in the Official Gazette, and it is expected that the new government led by Macut will be sworn in by April 18 – the legal deadline for its formation.
In addressing the public, Vučić said that Macut “possesses the professional and personal qualities, dedication, and expertise to perform the duties of prime minister.” And it can’t be said that Dr. Đuro Macut, who is relatively unknown to the broader public, lacks professional qualities. After all, he is recognized as one of the leading European experts on endocrinological issues. Nor is it that Mr. Macut has nothing to do – on the contrary, he has plenty of work.
According to estimates, around 800,000 people in Serbia live with diabetes, and that number is unfortunately growing; they are first in line waiting for endocrinology appointments. Over 400,000 couples struggling with infertility require the help of specialists like Macut. Almost every sixth person in Serbia suffers from chronic autoimmune thyroid inflammation, which is treated by endocrinologists. Moreover, Serbia ranks first in Europe for the number of women experiencing premature menopause, sometimes before the age of 40. Determining therapies in such cases is impossible without expert endocrinologists.
Nevertheless, Dr. Đuro Macut did not get the position of prime minister to solve these pressing issues affecting large numbers of citizens. The future prime minister has chosen not to comment on the priorities of his government before his exposé. Instead, Vučić spoke on his behalf, saying Macut’s mandate is “to resolve regional issues, the matter of US tariffs, to accelerate the European path, and to restore the level of direct investments, which are €700 million lower compared to the same period last year.”
And what about student demands?
Well, nothing. It’s quite clear that the new prime minister and the future government have no intention of responding to student demands which are backed by a large segment of the public. Nor is tackling corruption and crime, or creating fair electoral conditions on their list of priorities.
It’s also clear that Macut is just another, as social media puts it, “čičičić” – a person who came into contact with the top echelons of power and who undoubtedly has knowledge, expertise, and recognition. But these people have also agreed to play the role of a puppet whose decisions will be completely controlled by someone else – we all know who.
Appointing Macut as prime minister is merely buying time to prepare for the next election. And the regime knows that, regardless of the electoral conditions, elections are won before the actual vote.
To manufacture another strong result at the polls, the Serbian Progressive Party will likely continue pressuring the protesting students, as well as all those who actively support them: teachers, university staff, and anyone who speaks out in demanding government accountability.
One major step in preparing for the next elections has already been taken. The recent sale of the cable operator SBB, which led to a reshuffling of the order of channels that citizens watch on their TVs, is no small matter. Even though users can manually set which channels appear in which order, few will actually do so. Even those who previously preferred United Media channels (N1, Nova) will now see channels under indirect government control become more visible. The diaspora has been left without a choice, as they currently cannot access opposition television channels through legal providers.
Whether or not the government will try to influence the editorial policies of media working in the public interest, it is undeniable that they will now have the technical ability to influence the visibility of media critical of them.
Instead, most media will portray Dr. Đuro Macut as a renowned expert, serving as a curtain behind which a crumbling regime hides. For those who wish to see a different image of Serbia – and recent months speak to this – the task remains to get organized and create a different picture of society.
M.M.
