SPS confirms Ruzic expelled for causing “immense political damage”

The Socialist Party of Serbia has expelled Branko Ruzic, accusing him of deliberately violating party rules over an extended period and damaging the organization politically. All 11 members of the party’s Statutory Commission voted for his removal, the SPS said in a statement published on its website.

The party said Ruzic failed to implement official decisions and did not uphold a unified policy. Its statement rejected the idea that individual members could publicly promote a separate line from decisions adopted by the party’s leadership and governing bodies.

“The Socialist Party of Serbia cannot have two policies: one set by the party’s highest bodies, which was voted on by everyone, and another belonging to Branko Ruzic or any other individual voiced through the media. No individual can stand above the Party, its leadership, its statute, its platform, or its unified policy,” the statement said.

Tensions between Ruzic and the leadership grew after he attended a major anti-government student protest in Belgrade on March 15 last year. He had also repeatedly criticized the party in public and called for the SPS to maintain an independent political course, warning against its absorption into President Aleksandar Vucic’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party.

Ruzic had spent decades in the SPS. He served 26 years on its Main Board and 25 years as a member of Parliament. He was also a government minister for seven years, including two years as first deputy prime minister, and held several senior party posts.

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The Socialist Party of Serbia cannot have two policies: one set by the party’s highest bodies, which was voted on by everyone, and another belonging to Branko Ruzic or any other individual voiced through the media. No individual can stand above the Party, its leadership, its statute, its platform, or its unified policy