"No more party dilettantes in decision-making positions"

"No more party dilettantes in decision-making positions"

BELGRADE -- Transparency Serbia NGO head Vladimir Goati says the new government marked the end of “advancement of party dilettantes to key decision-making positions".

The composition of the new Serbian government is mainly good, and some solutions are excellent, said Goati in a program aired on TV B92.

He added that the new government inspires more optimism than the ones before it, with the exception of the first government formed after the political changes of October 5, 2000.

Goati said that he based his assessments on experiences of members of the new government, whose work received high praise in different institutions and environment.

He said that new Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić was strong enough to include independent people, mostly experts, in his government.

Goati added that the new government also features “some familiar faces that do not instill trust”, but that there are no more party figures “whose only skill is the ability to humor the head of their party."

There are several figures from the central party in the government, but they mostly hold positions with vague responsibilities, he said, noting that he believes that Serb Progressive Party (SNS) members are not happy about that, because the party won a clear majority in March elections.

Asked whether a broad coalition is formed because the SNS wants a broad support for the reforms, Goati pointed out that such a coalition is an advantage as “it should socialize the responsibility for extremely difficult and painful measures ahead that will lower the standard of living of the population."

Serbian economy is probably in a worse...