Danas Daily: Orban’s Successor Magyar Announces Corruption Investigation, Also Mentions Vucic

Aleksandar Vucic, Viktor Orban (BETAPHOTO/SERBIAN PRESIDENCY/DIMITRIJE GOLL)

The defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the parliamentary elections has raised the issue of the fate of joint projects between Serbia and Hungary – from the potential sale of the Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) oil company to Hungary’s MOL, to the construction of the oil pipeline and the completion of the Belgrade-Budapest railway, since his successor, Peter Magyar, has announced investigations of corruption and has also mentioned Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, the Danas daily reported on April 15.

The key issue is the fate of NIS, with Hungary’s MOL being the most serious candidate for purchasing the majority stake. Furthermore, there are projects under way, such as the oil pipeline and the Belgrade-Budapest railway, which is already in operation for cargo, but passenger traffic is not expected before the summer. According to earlier estimates, the value of the oil pipeline – its segment in Serbia – is around EUR150 million. This project is currently suffering delays on the Serbian side.

A retired professor of economics, Bozo Draskovic, has stated that he did not expect major changes in that regard, at least not from the side of the new government that is to be formed in Hungary. “The railway is a project that has been going on for a while now and it has been agreed on the basis of political lines. However, it is in the interest of both Serbia and Hungary, it is good to develop infrastructure that connects us with Hungary and Europe,” Draskovic has stated.

An economist and former minister of trade, Slobodan Milosavljevic, has said that changes after 16 years were “effective” in any country. “They always bring new energy and ideas. I hope for Hungary’s return to EU values and policies, and this includes the infrastructure that connects our countries and peoples,” Milosavljevic has said.