Vucic: New government to be elected within 40 days, to focus on economy

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday he believed a new government would be elected within 40 days and that it would fully focus on the economy, Serbia's progress, accelerated development and higher growth rates.

"I believe it (the next government) will be comprised of competent people who will be able to respond to challenges," Vucic said at a meeting with businesspeople at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.

He said problems faced by businesses reflected global political and economic problems and that no one knew anymore what business conditions would be like "tomorrow, in a month or in two months."

"No one knows what the tariffs between the US and the EU, the US and China and Latin America and the US will be like, and what EU-China relations will be like, except that we can all see that nearly everyone is rushing to India to create the best possible relations with India," Vucic said.

The fact the economic situation in the EU has a negative effect on the Serbian economy is also a problem, Vucic noted, adding that he hoped this would change in the coming years.

He said the political situation in Serbia was also affecting business and that he hoped and believed the situation would stabilise within 30 or 40 days, and that then it would take around six months for the economy to fully return to shape and restore its previous pace.

Vucic also said corruption, bureaucratic procedures and digital laziness were further problems faced by the national economy.