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Serbia's lesbian premier set to shake up macho Balkan politics

Serbia president names gay woman as premier in Balkan first
Serbia president names gay woman as premier in Balkan first
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26 June, 2017

Serbia is set to get its first female and openly gay prime minister after local government minister Ana Brnabić was nominated for the post on Thursday.

In a historic move opposing the widespread homophobia prevalent in the Balkans, a gay woman was appointed as the new Prime Minister of Serbia.

Speaking in Cacak, central Serbia, Obradovic said he was interested in Brnabic's professional potential, rather than her ethnicity, or her sexual orientation.

The announcement of the name of the new prime minister will be followed by the procedure of electing a new government and prime minister in the Serbian parliament, where the new prime minister, at a special session, present her keynote speech with goals and the programme of the government.

However, Bnbabic's conservative opposition who are reportedly close to the Serbian Orthodox Church, aren't impressed with Vucic's choice.

Vucic called her appointment as Prime Minister as "a hard decision for Serbia's interest and its citizens".

The new Serbian government is likely to pursue a pro-Western policy, as the country's President Alexander Vucic's choice of candidate was influenced by the European Union establishment, president of the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS) Voјislav Seselj told Sputnik. In 2013 she received the "Business Lady of the Year" award, while last May she won the Duga (Rainbow) award established five years ago by the Gay Strait Alliance in order to promote the rights of the LGBT community in Serbia.

Goran Miletić, a civil rights activist and Belgrade Pride organiser, told the Guardian: 'Even in some western countries it would be big news and a positive signal if a gay or lesbian person became prime minister or minister.

The presidential job is largely ceremonial, but analysts expect that Vucic will move to consolidate his influence.

In interviews after she became a minister previous year, Brnabić expressed the hope that people would look beyond her sexual orientation.

(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic). Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a press conference where he announced Ana Brnabic as the country's next prime minister, in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, June 15, 2017.


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