Serbian Parliament Debates Budget Rebalance Amidst Political Divisions

The Serbian Parliament is continuing an extraordinary session, with lawmakers set to debate 59 items on the agenda, prominently featuring the rebalance of the state budget for 2026.

The initial days of the session were marked by sharp disagreements between the ruling coalition and the opposition. Government proponents lauded the budget's allocations, asserting they are directed towards aiding all citizen groups and fostering infrastructure and capital projects, funded by realistic sources. Conversely, a segment of the opposition criticized the proposed rebalance as a "pre-election propaganda" tool, designed to "buy votes" for upcoming elections.

The Serbian government adopted the rebalance proposal on August 20, increasing the budget by 112.45 billion dinars to a total of 2.527.15 billion dinars. Tax revenues are projected at 2.108.3 billion dinars, with non-tax revenues at 382.9 billion dinars. Officials stated these changes will facilitate programs supporting citizens and further investments in capital projects.

The rebalance is underpinned by a projected economic growth of 3.3 percent, with the inflation forecast revised downward to 3.4 percent. Public debt is projected at 43.8 percent of GDP at the central government level, and 44.2 percent at the general government level. Beyond the budget, the agenda includes numerous other legislative proposals, covering areas such as expropriation for the "Belgrade Waterfront" project, judicial reforms, public notaries, lobbying, electronic governance, and anti-corruption measures. Discussions will also encompass public debt, electronic invoices, excise taxes, and greenhouse gas emission taxes, among other economic laws. Furthermore, the assembly will address property restitution, Holocaust victim compensation, public media services, churches and religious communities, and the national DNA registry. New state borrowing for infrastructure projects like highways and expressways is also on the agenda, alongside various international agreements and institutional reports.