President Vučić unveils €600 m package of pension cash aid and drug‑price cuts in Serbia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić presented a new social‑policy programme worth more than €600 million aimed at improving living standards for over three million citizens. The core of the plan is a one‑off cash payment to 1 663 000 pensioners, ranging from 35 000 dinars for those on the minimum pension to 20 000 dinars for higher earners, together with identical amounts for recipients of social assistance, child‑benefit and veterans’ allowances. The measures also include tourism vouchers for low‑pension retirees and a 1 000‑dinars discount on electricity bills for pensioners and veterans.

In parallel, the government will lower the retail price of a broad list of medicines from 1  August, reducing patient co‑payments and expanding the range of drugs reimbursed by the state. Finance Minister Siniša Mali said the drug‑price reductions will benefit between 2.5 and 3 million people and that the state will allocate roughly €100 million for the medication programme.

Opposition parties such as Serbia Centre (SRCE) and the Freedom and Justice Party (SSP) have criticised the package as a vote‑buying attempt and warned that it does not address the underlying economic problems. They note that the cash aid and drug subsidies are financed by new borrowing, raising concerns about public debt.

The package is scheduled for implementation by the end of September or early October 2026, with the cash payments to be disbursed at the same time. It comes ahead of scheduled elections and is presented by the government as a tangible response to rising living costs and inflation.