Serbia: Party questions opaque allocation of funds to veteran groups

The Serbian Center (SRCE) party has raised concerns over the allocation of nearly one million euros to veteran and related associations by the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs since the beginning of 2025. SRCE asserts that the criteria for distributing these funds are opaque and lack clarity.

Citing research by Radio Free Europe, SRCE pointed out that some beneficiaries of the state funding are organizations whose presidents or representatives are members of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The party highlighted specific instances, such as the "Zavičaj" association, led by SNS Member of Parliament Nenad Abramović, which reportedly received approximately 15,000 euros for several projects. Similarly, the "Veterani Košare" association, headed by MP Ivan Antić, received over 15,000 euros, and the "Savez Srba iz regiona," led by SNS MP Miodrag Linta, was allocated around 3,000 euros for a magazine.

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The problem is not only who received the funds, but also that the public often cannot see what has been done with that money.

SRCE further criticized the lack of public access to information regarding the utilization of these funds. The party stated that for over 300 financed projects, there are no publicly available data on their implementation. The Ministry has also reportedly failed to provide reports on completed projects. At the last tender, concluded in June, approximately 340,000 euros were distributed to more than 130 organizations.

The SRCE party is demanding that the authorities clarify whether political, familial, or other connections between commission members, the Ministry, and the recipient organizations were examined during the decision-making process. They also seek data on the number of projects physically inspected, the number of accepted reports, any funds returned due to irregularities, and who is responsible for overseeing the nearly one million euros in public money.

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Can the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs show the public where every dinar ended up and whether money is distributed based on the quality of projects and public interest, or if the tender procedure hides a system in which political and personal connections open doors to the state budget?