Serbia's Parliament continues debate on budget rebalance amendments

Lawmakers in the Serbian Parliament are engaged in a detailed discussion regarding amendments to the proposed rebalance of the national budget for 2026. A significant number of 166 amendments have been put forth for consideration, indicating a thorough legislative process.

In recent sessions, members of the ruling coalition have taken the floor to explain their proposed changes. Their discussions have largely focused on endorsing the rebalanced budget, while also advocating for increased allocations from budget reserves. These proposed funds are intended for diverse local themes and projects across Serbia's cities and municipalities.

The parliamentary session is packed, with 59 items on the agenda. Beyond the budget rebalance and related financial decisions, lawmakers are also addressing critical legislation. This includes changes to laws concerning public interest, expropriation, and construction permits for the "Belgrade Waterfront" project. Other key areas under review involve the Judicial Academy, public notaries, judges, lobbying, public prosecution, electronic governance, and anti-corruption measures.

Further legislative work includes amendments to laws on public debt, electronic waybills, e-invoicing, excise taxes, greenhouse gas emissions tax, carbon-intensive product import taxes, and the budget system. The assembly is also examining changes to laws concerning the return of confiscated property, compensation for Holocaust victims without heirs, public media services, churches, religious communities, and the national DNA registry.

Additionally, the parliament is considering new state borrowings for infrastructure projects. These include the Bački Breg-Sombor-Kikinda and Belgrade-Zrenjanin-Novi Sad expressways, as well as the Požarevac-Golubac express road. Numerous international agreements and reports from state institutions are also part of the ongoing deliberations.