Serbia's Ruling Party Gets Nearly 4/5 of MP Seats

The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has 198 out of 250 lawmakers in the country's Parliament, after the new cabinet was sworn in Sunday.

Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's new Prime Minister who was a Deputy PM in the previous socialist-led government, vowed to raise the income of citizens by adopting measures that would boost private-sector activity and accelerate the process of EU negotiations, the Bulgarian National Radio has reported. Vucic hopes that Serbia could make it into the EU as early as 2018.

Budget reforms through spending cuts will also be on his agenda.

Socialist leader Ivica Dacic, who was Prime Minister in the last government, will now be the first deputy and also the Foreign Minister, according to Radio B92. Dacic agreed to take part in the cabinet after long hesitating on his final decision.

There will be a total of four deputies to the PM. Apart from Dacic, one will be in charge of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure, another will get the Trade, Telecommunications, and Tourism portfolio, and a third one will head Public Administration and Self-Government.

Out of 19 members of the cabinet, only seven are from the SNS, even though it will be the clear senior partner.

On Monday, hours after cabinet assumed power, the EU's High Representative on Foreign Affairs and Security, Catherine Ashton, is to visit Belgrade to meet President Tomislav Nikolic and the new Prime Minister.