Original article (in Serbian) was published on 16/4/2026; Author: Milica Ljubičić
Too difficult for them to attend a session – how would they run the country?” and “Bunch of idiots – parliament session postponed due to lack of quorum.” These were among the headlines used by pro-government tabloids to report that yesterday’s session of the National Assembly, at which lawmakers were due to vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Đuro Macut’s government, did not take place. Although video footage from the session clearly showed lawmakers from the ruling coalition – which holds the parliamentary majority – leaving the chamber while opposition MPs remained inside, the tabloids blamed the opposition for the failure to hold the session.
The spring session of the National Assembly was due to begin in mid-April with a single item on the agenda – a vote of no confidence in the government of Prime Minister Đuro Macut, submitted by 62 opposition lawmakers.
Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić unexpectedly called the session the previous day.
The session, however, did not take place because a quorum was not met, meaning that a majority of the total number of lawmakers was not present. Only 47 MPs attended, including just three members of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), among them the parliament speaker and deputy speaker.
This could easily be verified from the official video recordings of the session. During the national anthem at the start of the session, members of the ruling coalition can clearly be seen inside the chamber.
Immediately after the anthem ended, as seen in the footage, lawmakers from the Serbian Progressive Party began leaving the chamber, and within a minute almost none of them remained inside.
They themselves did not try to hide it. Milenko Jovanov, head of the SNS parliamentary group, said yesterday that the ruling party would provide a quorum only after the session scheduled for today had concluded.
“Expect the continuation of the session on the no-confidence vote relatively soon. We will provide a quorum and allow the debate, as agreed, only after the session scheduled for tomorrow is completed. Then we can expect a discussion on confidence in the government,” he said.
Although it was clear what had happened, and despite the fact that only one lawmaker from the ruling party formally registered attendance at the session, pro-government tabloids reported that the session failed because 15 opposition lawmakers – among the signatories of the no-confidence motion – did not appear.
Even if those 15 opposition lawmakers had attended, there still would not have been a quorum.
The reports entirely omitted the fact that the session could not have taken place without lawmakers from the Serbian Progressive Party, which holds a parliamentary majority with 110 seats.
“Filed the motion, then 15 opposition lawmakers failed to show up. Bunch of idiots – parliament session postponed due to lack of quorum,” tabloid Alo wrote, effectively blaming opposition lawmakers for the collapse of the session.
Other pro-government media carried similar headlines.
“They demand the government’s downfall, but can’t even show up for work! Where did 15 opposition lawmakers ‘disappear’ to?! They requested the session and then vanished – how would they run the country?!,” Pink TV’s website wrote.
“Opposition still failed to appear: Here’s what will happen to the session on the no-confidence vote,” Informer reported.
