The presidency of Serbia's SRCE party has accepted party leader Zdravko Ponoš's resignation and will run the party until an electoral convention is held within six months.
- The presidency and executive board will lead SRCE until an electoral convention, due within six months.
- SRCE will remain an extra-parliamentary party with no seats in the National Assembly.
- The party reaffirmed its commitment to a European Serbia and urged the new government to unblock EU integration.
- The statement did not give reasons for Ponoš's resignation or a date for the convention.
The presidency of the Serbia Center (SRCE) party has formally accepted the resignation of party leader Zdravko Ponoš. The decision was made at a meeting held on Tuesday evening, according to a statement from the party.
Until an electoral convention is held, which the party says will happen within the next six months, SRCE will be run by its presidency and executive board.
Party to remain outside parliament and focus on EU path
In the statement, SRCE said it would continue to operate as an extra-parliamentary party, meaning it holds no seats in the National Assembly. It said it would stay committed to what it described as the ideal of a European Serbia, which in practice means continuing and speeding up European integration, with EU membership as the final goal.
The party said this aim was one of the reasons it was founded three years ago. According to the statement, members of the presidency stressed that these values are the foundational principles of the European Union and that the party will not waver from them.
Call to the new government
The SRCE leadership maintains that there is no credible alternative to continuing European integration. It urged the newly formed government to do everything in its power to unblock the integration process.
The party also said this is the only way "to heal society from the damage inflicted during the long-standing rule of Aleksandar Vučić and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) - Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) coalition." This is the party's own assessment. Vučić is the President of Serbia, and the SNS and SPS are the two parties that have governed the country together.
The statement does not give the reasons for Ponoš's resignation or a date for the electoral convention, only that it will take place within six months.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Zdravko Ponoš resign as leader of SRCE?
The party's statement does not give reasons for Ponoš's resignation. It only confirms that the presidency formally accepted it at a meeting on Tuesday evening.
Who will lead SRCE until a new leader is chosen?
The party will be run by its presidency and executive board until an electoral convention is held. The party says this will happen within the next six months.
Is SRCE currently represented in parliament?
No. SRCE continues to operate as an extra-parliamentary party, meaning it holds no seats in the National Assembly.
What is SRCE's main political goal?
SRCE supports a European Serbia, which means continuing and speeding up European integration with EU membership as the final goal. It also urged the new government to unblock the integration process.
