Vucic in Nis: 20 Factories for the South, 12 Ministers
At the closing rally of the United Serbia list on King Milan Square, four days before the election, Vucic laid out a six-point plan for the south. Dodik and Nikolic also spoke.
List leader Aleksandar Vucic promised in Nis on Wednesday evening that the next government will have just 12 ministers and that southern Serbia will get 20 large factories in five districts. He spoke at the closing rally of the “Aleksandar Vucic - United Serbia” list on King Milan Square, four days before the parliamentary election set for October 25. The rally fell on the 18th birthday of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
The package of measures for the south (equipment subsidies, new universities, Vlasina, free dental care) was presented in the morning, and we have already reported on it. What follows is what was said on the square for the first time.
How did the rally unfold?
The music program began around 4:30 p.m., with Nedeljko Bilkic, Ceda Markovic, Sasa Matic and the Gobovic sisters performing. The official part began around 6 p.m. with the anthem “Bozhe pravde”. Vucic reached the square on foot, at the head of a column of citizens that set off from the Nis Fortress, together with Milorad Dodik and Tomislav Nikolic. The rally was held in the rain, supporters lit flares, and it ended with fireworks.
Vucic opened his speech with these words:
“Thank you for your love and support. Thank you for not letting the rain drive you away. Tonight, I take an oath before you!”
What did Vucic announce for southern Serbia?
The plan has six points, as he called it, and carries several concrete items:
- 20 large factories in five southern districts
- subsidies for the food and processing industries twice as high in the south and east as in the rest of the country
- 1.3 billion for hospitals and health centers over the next two years (Kurir and Juzna Srbija info report that the amount is in euros, while Alo gives the figure without a currency)
- free prenatal checkups, which today cost more than 1,000 euros
- a new Cair stadium and a motorway through Toplica to Kursumlija and Merdare
Vucic also tied pensions to economic growth: an increase of more than 10 percent next year, but on the condition that growth reaches about 4.2 percent or more.
Part of this is not a new promise. Vucic presented the Clinical Center in Nis as finished: “We built a completely new Clinical Center,” he said, and the maternity ward is, by his account, under construction. On the fast rail line between Belgrade and Nis, he said construction has already begun.
He cited figures on Nis as proof of results. By his account, 11 factories have been brought to the city, and the number of formally employed people rose from 70,000 to 91,000 in 12 years.
“The salary in Nis 12 years ago was 309 euros on average, today it is 1,007 euros.”
He repeated that the new government will have no more than 12 ministers:
“The government will have just 12 ministers, but ministers who will work around the clock.”
He also announced the removal of local officials who refuse to talk to citizens.
What did Dodik and Nikolic say?
Nis Mayor Dragoslav Pavlovic, Nikolic and Dodik also spoke. SNSD leader Dodik urged people to vote for the list:
“Our final victory is on the 25th of this month, by voting for United Serbia and Aleksandar Vucic.”
Dodik added that Russian President Vladimir Putin recently asked him about Vucic’s health. Former Serbian president Nikolic said Serbia faces no crossroads and no uncertainty, and that he would call Nis the “center of unification”. He announced that from Monday, October 26, the focus will be on salaries, pensions and energy security.
How many people were on the square?
There is no independent estimate of the crowd. Ugljesa Mrdic of the SNS told TV Informer to expect “the biggest rally in the history of the city of Nis”, and Alo’s print edition headline says “over 100,000 people”, without a source for that figure.
When chants against Albanians rose from the crowd, Vucic reacted:
“Kids, don’t let me hear you. In Serbia we have many honest Albanians.”
After the rally he posted a video from Nis on Instagram with the message: “A lot of good energy and wonderful people tonight in Nis!”
