Vučić after consultations with parties: "We need serious decisions"; "Elections by the end of the year"

“We are facing a major increase in fertilizer prices, soon shortages of plastic products, and soon a significant rise in food prices. Serbia will strive to make things at least slightly easier here than in other countries. Just today, the situation with oil prices—today it should be over 275 dinars. The proposal from associations and relevant authorities was +7 for diesel, +4 for gasoline. We said that is impossible; the price will only be increased by one dinar,” Vučić said.

On consultations 

Vučić emphasized that he invited party representatives to discuss the demands of protesters calling for elections.

“They are progressing everywhere very quickly, they just haven’t taken power. When people have such desires, I believe it’s important to respond. I want to hear the positions of all parties, and I will address this issue again on Tuesday, although we will also have consultations on Monday. We talked about European integration, and the positions of my interlocutors were very diverse and nuanced. It is my role to take all their views into account,” Vučić said.

He emphasized that Vulin and the Movement of Socialists (PS) believe an urgent government reshuffle is needed and that they hold a critical view of the EU and what they consider its unfair treatment of Serbia.

“With Pastor and other members of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), we talked about the further development of friendship and partnership between Serbs and Hungarians, about key projects for northern Serbia, the opening of the railway to Budapest, as well as other matters, including the European path. I listened carefully to him, to his nuanced assessment, where he supports the European path but clearly points out unfair issues,” Vučić said.

He added that he promised the people that the elections will be early and will definitely take place before the end of 2026.

“And I will see, as much as possible, that we fulfill that promise. I also spoke with Usame Zukorlić and representatives of the Party of Justice and Reconciliation (SPP), and they expressed a desire to further improve relations in the region. They are not changing their pro-European orientation. We talked about investments, and about highways—Kraljevo-Raška-Novi Pazar, and the route via Arilje, Ivanjica, and Duga Poljana to Boljare. We agreed to work on developing projects for some other investments, which we will need to discuss on Tuesday,” Vučić stated.

Journalists’ Questions

Responding to claims by Željko Veljković, a journalist from Nova S, that he should resign because only one side responded to the invitation for talks, Vučić said that this was a strange logic.

On claims made by Slobodan Georgiev, Vučić stated that he can no longer follow all these claims and only knows that everyone hates Vučić, and that their only plan and program is to shower his son with uranium and kill everyone.

“Yesterday, this Kokanović said— I laughed a lot— that it was foolish to block the roads and that it annoyed the people. And he himself organized over 1,000 blockades across Serbia. And now he decided to become a minister, so he’s very smart. I didn’t say it by accident: in five years, they will say we prevented them from building Belgrade Waterfront and the railway to Budapest,” Vučić emphasized.

He added that those who refused to come to consultations created such conditions that tomorrow no one will want to talk to them.

“This country must be more important than either us or them, not personal or party interests. If someone invites you to a discussion, and that person has authority, maybe I will tell them something they don’t know, something they haven’t heard. I have access to some information they don’t, maybe they will see something from a different angle, maybe they will say something sensible that I would accept. The one who refuses dialogue, not the one who accepts it, should think about resignation,” Vučić said.

When asked by N1 journalists whether he knew that paid extras were present at the gathering in the Arena, Vučić replied:

“I don’t know about that, I haven’t been informed. But I have been informed that those who attacked our people across Serbia were well paid, with money in envelopes. There were a total of 23 incidents on Sunday during the elections. Do you really think you have to pay someone to think differently from you? On Sunday, we had, I want to inform everyone, 23 incidents. There were no more, although if you looked at some media, you would think there were hundreds. There were five or six municipalities with no incidents or irregularities. In those 23 incidents, in 20 cases, the blockers attacked our people. In one case, it was a blocker attacking another blocker. That’s the footage from Kula, where lawyers from Novi Sad attacked a father and son. Of course, the blocker drew a gun,” Vučić emphasized.

He stated that there was an unfair approach by certain people toward the electoral process.

“At only three locations did the supporters of the Serbia-Our Family list do anything first. And let me say, those who were registered as journalists did not behave like that—they broke into SNS offices and provoked people there,” Vučić said.

He stated that he is no longer so young, although much younger than the “pope” of the blockers, referring to Rector Vladan Djokić.

“I have been in this position for a long time, and I know they cannot find anything on me; I know they would beg me not to run again. But I want to, my only goal is for serious people to defeat them, and I am here to help,” Vučić emphasized.

When asked about the presidential elections, he said he cannot be a candidate in those elections.

“As I understand, the ‘pope’ is running for President of Serbia. He decided himself that I would not be his opponent in any case. And I will try not to be an opponent to others if at all possible. But if I must, I will, just so we win. I see nothing wrong with that; I think he is an excellent candidate. When the campaign starts, we will discuss it and confront arguments. If he runs for Prime Minister, then we will confront arguments; maybe in that case, I will be his opponent. I cannot violate the Constitution to become president again,” Vučić said.

Regarding statements by Branko Ružić, he said he will wait until Tuesday, when SPS representatives will attend consultations, and he will say everything to them face to face.

He also expressed condolences to Slavica Djukić Dejanović, whose husband Ranko Dejanović passed away today.