The Novi Sad City Assembly members adopted the final budget account for 2024 and started discussions on the budget rebalancing for 2025. Mayor Žarko Mićin emphasized that the rebalancing will enable long-term solutions for water supply issues and that there will be no restrictions, including for free kindergartens. The rebalancing is a result of a surplus of 9 billion dinars from the previous year, with 3.4 billion dinars allocated for water supply and kindergartens. The session was marked by disruptions from opposition councilors and a blockade of the Assembly building entrances by a group of citizens demanding elections for local community councils. The mayor explained that elections were not called due to the non-compliance of local community statutes with legal requirements but will be called after alignment.
Political Perspectives:
Left: Left-leaning reports emphasize the social benefits of the budget rebalancing, highlighting the allocation of funds to free kindergartens and long-term water supply improvements. They focus on the positive impact on community welfare and criticize the obstruction by opposition groups as politically motivated disruptions that hinder progress.
Center: Center-leaning coverage presents a balanced view, reporting the facts of the budget adoption and rebalancing, the surplus from the previous year, and the legal reasons behind the delay in local community elections. It notes the disruptions but maintains a neutral tone, focusing on the administrative and procedural aspects.
Right: Right-leaning narratives stress the importance of fiscal responsibility and the effective use of the budget surplus. They highlight the mayor’s leadership in managing the budget and criticize the opposition and protestors for causing disturbances and blocking the Assembly, framing them as obstructing governance and public order.
