Serbia’s Next Government Eyes 5 Percent GDP Defense Spending Surge
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MENAFNLuka Ponorac, a former Serbian Army officer who speaks for the list, told a public broadcaster that delivery would hinge on the financial and personnel resources available to the incoming government.
Ponorac said defense spending is currently projected at roughly 2% to 2.5% of GDP. Under the plan, that share would first climb to 3% and then rise gradually toward the 5% long-term goal.
Serbian defense experts drafted the proposals, he said, which call for more efficient spending, a fairer allocation of resources and balanced development across every branch and service of the military.
The program envisions salary increases of 20% to 30% for military personnel, plus steps to close pay gaps between ranks and positions. Ponorac pointed to cases in which special forces soldiers earn more than generals, while senior instructors at the Military Academy are paid less than some officers in operational units because of differences in allowances. He also underlined the need to give military personnel clearer, more predictable career paths.
Rocket artillery, air defense and drones top the modernization list
The modernization plan puts rocket artillery systems with ranges of 150 to 300 kilometers (93 to 186 miles) first, together with an integrated air defense network spanning short, medium and long ranges.
Network-centric communication and command systems, air surveillance and early warning capabilities, and the purchase of unmanned aerial vehicles are also among the priorities.
The list further proposes strengthening the role of military expert councils, the Military Technical Institute and the Technical Testing Center. Its program also demands that military security and intelligence services operate within the law and that allegations of unlawful conduct by individual officials be investigated.
Ponorac stressed again that the scope and pace of any reforms would depend on the resources and conditions the next administration inherits.
The student-backed list took 140 seats in Serbia’s 250-member parliament in the Oct. 25 snap elections, beating the alliance led by former President Aleksandar Vucic, which won 103 seats, according to final results the Republic Electoral Commission confirmed on Nov. 5.
The victory opens the way for the movement to form a government after nearly two years of anti-government protests. The unrest was sparked by the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people.
The new parliament has not yet convened, and the next government has not been formally established.
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