President Aleksandar Vucic has nominated Ana Brnabic, 41, as the country’s Prime Minister-elect.
The move has come as surprise in the conservative and highly religious nation as Brnabic is gay.
The proposed cabinet needs to be approved by the nation’s parliament for the role to become official.
“If elected in parliament, I will run the government with dedication and responsibility and I will do my job honestly and with love,” Brnabic told state Tanjug news agency.
President Vucic was elected in May 2017 and promised to improve Serbia’s record on LGBTI rights. The lack of LGBTI rights in the country has been seen as a stumbling block to Sebia being accepted into the European Union.
Brnabic has been a minister since 2016, she is currently the Minister of Public Administration and Local self-government of Serbia. If her appointment is approved she will become the fifth gay head of state, and the first from central Europe.
The move has angered conservative politicians in the country. Nationalist politician Dragan Markovic-Palma has been reported as saying he would not accept Brnabic in the role, the MP has previously said he could only support a candidate who was married and had a least two children.
A report from 2012 showed that 48% of Serbians considered homosexuality to be a mental illness. In recent years new laws have been introduced to target hate crimes and reduce discrimination.
OIP Staff
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