Dejan Soskic discussed as leading candidate for Serbian prime minister
Former central bank governor is named as a top pick after the Student List victory, though the movement has not formally confirmed him.
Economist and former governor of the National Bank of Serbia, Dejan Soskic, has been mentioned in media reports as the strongest candidate to become Serbia’s next prime minister after the early parliamentary victory of the Student List — Students Win, though the movement has not officially confirmed his nomination.
Before the vote, Soskic personally rejected suggestions that he might become prime minister and said the composition of any new government would be discussed only after an electoral win. "I am only a candidate for parliament," he said on that occasion.
Campaign claims, list position and immediate reaction
During the campaign, former Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic presented Soskic at a rally in the Belgrade Arena as the students’ hidden favorite and accused him of having plundered the country and destroyed the dinar. According to Serbian media, Soskic appears at number 27 on the movement’s list of 250 candidates.
After polling stations closed, Soskic spoke at a press conference on behalf of the Student List, called on citizens to celebrate peacefully and thanked voters for their trust.
In an interview with the weekly Vreme, Soskic said that, if the students form the next government, they would replace what he described as poor personnel, adopt a law on lustration and investigate the origin of officials’ property. He added that the handover of power should proceed without major problems and that the new authorities would accelerate reforms toward European Union membership, a process he said would be subject to a referendum.
Under Serbia’s constitution, the prime minister is chosen by the National Assembly following a political agreement and the formal nomination of a candidate.
Photo: press material from the event
