"Investors don't want Pensioner Party in new government"

"Investors don't want Pensioner Party in new government"

BELGRADE -- Investors consider changes to the Labor Law to be of essential importance, and for that reason do not wish the Pensioners (PUPS) to enter a new cabinet.

This is according to a report in the Belgrade-based daily Danas, published on Friday.

The United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS) is a member of the pre-election coalition led by Ivica Dačić's Socialists (SPS).

According to the article, foreign investors and foreign business associations in Serbia - primarily from western countries - are concerned about the speculation in recent days that the PUPS could join a new government and that the party's officials could be given high positions in the Ministry of Labor, the newspaper was told by several diplomatic sources.

According to the article, foreigners in Serbia fear that the party would "hamper the adoption of key reform legislation, primarily to amend the existing Labor Law."

PUPS Vice President Momo Čolaković told the paper that he was not taking part in negotiations on a new government, and that only the party's deputy leader Milan Krkobabić can provide information on this subject.

"As for foreign investors, none of them have reason for concern about the PUPS entering the Serbian government, because we work in the interest of the poorest pensioners and workers and not against anybody," said Čolaković. When asked whether this means that the PUPS was ready for radical changes in the Labor Law, he said the party was "ready for changes in accordance with EU regulations".

Economist Ljubomir Madžar told the daily that the configuration of the new government, due to the election results and the dominance of...