Branko Ružić expelled from Socialist Party of Serbia

The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) has unanimously expelled Branko Ružić, a long-time high-ranking official and former minister, following a decision by the party's Statutory Commission. The SPS stated that Ružić was removed for continuous violations of the party statute, failure to respect party decisions, and public criticisms of the party's policy.

Ružić, who had been a member for over 30 years, responded by stating that the decision was “politically made elsewhere.” He accused the SPS of abandoning its political independence and acting as a “branch of the SNS” (Serbian Progressive Party). Ružić announced he will return his parliamentary mandate to the party and intends to continue his political career.

The expulsion has triggered internal instability within the SPS. Two officials from Kuršumlija, Dejan Ćurčić and Milan Stepanović, resigned from the party in protest, calling the move a betrayal of the party's original ideology. Conversely, SPS leadership defended the decision, claiming Ružić's actions caused significant political damage and that his opposition to the party's coalition policy was unacceptable.