Brnabic: Parliament Session Delayed Until Late August
Ana Brnabic says Serbia's parliament may not reconvene until late August, as lawmakers await ODIHR's final comments on anti-corruption law amendments.
National Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabic told Prva Televizija on August 2, 2026, that the next session of parliament could be convened in late August. She cited the need for lawmakers to adopt amendments to Serbia’s Law on the Prevention of Corruption as the reason for that timing, adding that parliament is first waiting on the final comments from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, better known by its acronym ODIHR.
This is the first time any general timeframe for parliament’s next session has been named since an initiative to bring down the government on a no confidence vote failed.
“We are waiting for the OSCE Office’s final comments. In their first round, they already said the draft represents a major improvement,” Brnabic said.
Why the Session Date Hinges on ODIHR
Brnabic has previously said the National Assembly sent the final draft of the law amendments to ODIHR and the European Commission in late July. According to her, the office already assessed the first version as an improvement over the current law, and lawmakers are now waiting for the last round of comments.
The practical consequence is that the date of the plenary session does not depend on the parliamentary calendar alone. Until the opinion arrives, the item that would justify calling a session is not ready for a vote. Brnabic did not specify a date for convening parliament or the rest of the agenda, nor did she say whether any items besides the anti corruption law are expected.
ODIHR is best known in Serbia for its election observation missions and the recommendations that follow them, but the same office also issues legal opinions on draft legislation when a state submits it for review. Sending the draft to two addresses, in Warsaw and in Brussels, means the text of the law will also be read through the same lens used to track Serbia’s progress on the rule of law chapters.
When Did Parliament Last Meet?
Lawmakers were last in the chamber in late July, at an extraordinary session on a no confidence motion against the government. The opposition’s initiative did not pass. The request to remove the government was signed by 62 lawmakers, while 40 voted in favor of no confidence in the chamber.
If the Speaker’s announcement holds, close to a month will pass between that session and the next one. Parliament would go that entire stretch without a single item before lawmakers, with the anti corruption law remaining the only named reason for their return to the benches.
Assessments of the Opposition and NGOs
In the same appearance, Brnabic also spoke about her relationship with parliamentary groups. She said that as Speaker she communicates more with civil society NGOs than she ever did with the parties of the former government, arguing that their voice carries more weight and reaches further.
Speaking about the elections, she said voters are being offered two completely different policies, “black and white,” and that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is traveling across the country to hear what people need.
“With their policy, not a stone would be left standing,” Brnabic said of the opposition and the students.
She made the assessment during a solo television appearance, with no one from the other side present. The same opposition parliamentary groups she referenced are behind the July request to remove the government, the one that fell 22 votes short of the number of signatures collected.
What’s Being Watched Until the End of the Month
Two concrete steps precede the session: the arrival of ODIHR’s final opinion and the publication of the convening notice on the National Assembly’s website. The first is out of domestic institutions’ hands, the second rests solely with the Speaker of parliament.
Less than four weeks remain until the end of August.
