President sees Vučić as "next prime minister"

Nikolić is seen in Kragujevac on Monday (Tanjug)

President sees Vučić as "next prime minister"

KRAGUJEVAC -- Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić said on Monday that leader of the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) Aleksandar Vučić "will be the next prime minister."

Nikolić - who stepped down as SNS leader two years ago when he was elected president - at the same time noted that he will begin talks with the prime minister-designate after the formation of parliamentary groups in the Serbian parliament and discussions with them.

"First, we should complete the elections, then form groups in the National Assembly of Serbia, then talk with all parliamentary groups, although I know with whom I am going to talk about the mandate," Nikolić told reporters in his hometown, Kragujevac, where he attended a ceremony marking 160th anniversary of the Polytechnic High School.

Nikolić said that he should discuss the make-up of a new government with those who made it to the parliament, but also those who did not, because they are also citizens of Serbia.

According to Nikolić, Serbia will have to resolve the issues that are the consequence of what has accumulated for years.

"If everyone solved at least one part, the new government would not be in for so much work," he said, noting that is the reason why the new government would not be that popular in the initial period.

In relation to that, he said that this would also be difficult time for the SNS.

Nikolić said that the elections passed off in a democratic atmosphere, and that he had expected such election results.

"Those who did not achieve a good result should think about the reason for such popularity of the SNS, and whether they contributed to that. The people who set off...

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