Vucevic: Serbia needs social peace, we do not understand those refusing discussions

BELGRADE - Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) leader Milos Vucevic said on Thursday the party did not understand people who were advocating early parliamentary elections but were refusing to discuss them and other topics with the Serbian president, and noted that Serbia needed social peace.

"We do not understand how people who are advocating early elections are refusing to speak with the president - who is the only one authorised under the Constitution of the Republic to decide on presidential or parliamentary elections - while they do speak with (European Parliament rapporteur) Tonino Picula and others outside the country and refuse to speak with political actors in the country," Vucevic said after political consultations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Noting that Serbia needed social peace, Vucevic said the SNS did not see a way to attain it without dialogue and discussions among political actors and among Serbian citizens.

He said the party was pleased Vucic had called for broader social dialogue, and added that the topics of the meeting with the president had been diverse.

Vucevic said broader dialogue within the ruling party was planned to begin in April at municipal and city level.

"The SNS will hold a debate and come out with a programme and a proposal to the president and the Serbian citizens about how we see Serbia in the future - will it be in Europe or whether we should commit to something else," he said.

Vucevic said the SNS programme matched Serbia's development plans and the Serbia 2025-2035 programme.