Serbia's 6,000 dinar payout: A 'pot of gold' or vote-buying ahead of elections?

Serbia is preparing to distribute 6,000 dinars (approximately $55) to all adult citizens, a move President Aleksandar Vučić announced would be funded by the Share Fund, not the state budget. This payout, set to begin on September 22, is part of a series of benefits including pension increases and aid for vulnerable groups. However, the distribution to all adults, including those who may not objectively need it, has drawn criticism.

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It will all take its course.

Critics, including Jelka Jovanović, editor of "Novi magazin," and Ivan Radak, editor at Forbes Serbia, view the payout as a blatant attempt to win votes ahead of upcoming elections. Jovanović expressed her opposition to any form of bribery, fearing that the government's "calculation is good" for swaying voters. Radak likened the move to a political sketch, where the state takes money from citizens and then presents it as a gift, calling it a "wrong move" that turns free shares into an election campaign tool.

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The government is capable of acting, and next week everything will be settled.

Economists also question the financial strategy behind the payout. Radak pointed out that after 14 years, the "economic tiger" cannot offer citizens more than a few thousand dinars, suggesting the state could have invested this money for greater returns. He added that the budget is so strained that the government resorts to distributing assets from the Share Fund instead of finding more sustainable ways to help citizens. The fund itself, derived from privatization, is also being used to pay out to the heirs of deceased citizens who were entitled to the funds.

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From the outside, it sometimes looks more dramatic than it is internally.

President Vučić stated that a law change is necessary to include those who turned 18 after 2007, as current legislation only covers those who were adults by that year. This adjustment could potentially include millions of citizens. However, the source of the funds, privatization proceeds, and the timing of the distribution so close to elections remain points of contention, fueling accusations of vote-buying.

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And in the coming days, as the Chancellor said, everything will be put right.