Serbia: Opposition claims public debt rose to 42 billion euros

Aleksandar Ivanović, a Member of Parliament for the People's Movement of Serbia, has raised concerns regarding the country's rising public debt and allegations of corruption. He noted that Serbia's public debt has increased from 15 billion euros to over 42 billion euros during the tenure of the Serbian Progressive Party.

Ivanović claims that while the debt has grown, 44 new billionaires have emerged, many of whom are allegedly close to the ruling authorities. He criticized the government's infrastructure spending, suggesting that high costs for projects like highways are being diverted through corrupt methods to party members.

Furthermore, he criticized the government's decision to borrow nearly one billion euros from commercial banks rather than international institutions, arguing that commercial loans lack the rigorous spending controls required by international bodies. He also dismissed recent social payments to citizens as pre-election marketing rather than effective social policy, advocating instead for targeted aid to the most vulnerable families.