Milan Krkobabić (; born 12 October 1952) is a Serbian politician. A member of the Krkobabić political family, he has led the Party of United Pensioners, Farmers, and Proletarians of Serbia (PUPS) since 2014."PUPS promenio ime", Danas, 21 June 2022, accessed 24 June 2022. He was a minister without portfolio in Serbia's government from 2016 to 2020 and has been minister of rural welfare since October 2020. Krkobabić previously served as deputy mayor of Belgrade from 2008 to 2012.
Early life and career Krkobabić was born in Kačarevo, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, in what was then the People's Republic of Serbia in the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. He later moved with his family to Belgrade, where he completed high school and graduated from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics. He has thirty years of experience in the financial sector.MILAN KRKOBABIĆ, Otvoreni Parlament, accessed 26 July 2018.
His father, Jovan Krkobabić, was the founder and first leader of the PUPS.
Politician Krkobabić joined the PUPS on its formation as the Party of United Pensioners of Serbia in 2005; the party was known by this name until June 2022. It contested the 2007 Serbian parliamentary election on a combined electoral list with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Krkobabić was included in the 105th position.Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 21. јануара и 8. фебрауара 2007. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (9 Партија уједињених пензионера Србије (ПУПС) - Др Јован Кркобабић и Социјалдемократска партија (СДП) - Др Небојша Човић), , Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 April 2024. The list did not cross the electoral threshold to win representation in the national assembly.
City of Belgrade The PUPS formed an alliance with the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) prior to the 2008 parliamentary election. Krkobabić was not a candidate at the republic level in that year but instead received the second position on a SPS-led list in the concurrent 2008 Belgrade city assembly election. The list won six seats, and he was given a mandate.Službeni list, City of Belgrade, 30 April 2008, p. 7; and Službeni list, City of Belgrade, 15 July 2008.For the 2008 local elections, all mandates were assigned to candidates on successful lists at the discretion of the sponsoring parties or coalitions. See Law on Local Elections (2007), , Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 35/2000; made available via LegislationOnline, , accessed 7 April 2024. Krkobabić did not automatically receive a mandate by virtue of his position, though he was given an assembly mandate all the same. Serbia's electoral laws were reformed in 2011, such that mandates were awarded to candidates on successful lists in numerical order. Neither the republic nor the Belgrade city elections produced a clear winner, and representatives of the Socialist Party, the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS), and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) discussed forming coalition governments at both levels of administration. Krkobabić said that this arrangement would be acceptable to the PUPS as it would ensure passage of some of the party's program."Serbian Radicals, Socialists and PM's party sign deal on Belgrade," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 28 May 2008 (Source: Studio B TV, Belgrade, in Serbian 1100gmt 28 May 08).
Negotiations among these parties subsequently broke down, and the Socialists instead formed coalition governments at both the republic and city levels with the For a European Serbia (ZES) alliance led by the Democratic Party (DS). The PUPS participated in the new governments, and Krkobabić said it would use its influence to fight for a pension increase and resist any efforts to impose neoliberal reforms.Ivana Sekularac, "Next Serbia government to juggle reform, welfare," Reuters News, 24 June 2008. He became Belgrade's deputy mayor, serving under Dragan Đilas."Belgrade gets new mayor from pro-Western party," Agence France Presse, 19 August 2008.
In October 2009, Krkobabić and Russian ambassador Aleksandr Konuzin inaugurated a statue of Alexander Pushkin in the centre of Belgrade, not far from the statues of Cyril and Methodius and Vuk Karadžić."SERBIA-RUSSIA: BELGRADO, STATUA PUSHKIN PER VISITA MEDVEDEV," ANSA - Foreign Affairs News Service, 19 October 2009.
Krkobabić later defended Belgrade's decision to erect a statue of former Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev in Tašmajdan Park, which the government of Azerbaijan had donated two million Euros to renovate following extensive damage in the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. The statue attracted controversy due to the Azerbaijani president's human rights record while in office. Krkobabić said in response, "Our principle was not to be policemen and to investigate what was done in the past because we would not have time for that. Our principle was to draw a line and to move forward. In these hard times, we are trying to accept every act of goodwill by various countries and to use them for the benefit of the citizens of Belgrade.""Serbian Capital To Erect Statue Of Former Azerbaijani President," Radio Free Europe Documents and Publications, 26 March 2011.
National Assembly member and Pošta Srbije director The PUPS maintained its alliance with the Socialist Party for the 2012 Serbian parliamentary election. Krkobabić was a spokesperson for his party in this campaign, highlighting its promise to protect and improve pensions."Serbian TV views election campaigns of parties, coalitions," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 19 April 2012 (Source: RTS 1 TV, Belgrade, in Serbian 1730 gmt 17 Apr 12). He was given the thirteenth position on the SPS's list and was elected to his first term in the national assembly when the list won forty-four mandates.Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине, 6. мај 2012. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (7 ИВИЦА ДАЧИЋ - "СОЦИЈАЛИСТИЧКА ПАРТИЈА СРБИЈЕ (СПС), ПАРТИЈА УЈЕДИЊЕНИХ ПЕНЗИОНЕРА СРБИЈЕ (ПУПС), ЈЕДИНСТВЕНА СРБИЈА (ЈС)"), , Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 April 2024. He also received the second position on the Socialist-led list in the concurrent 2012 Belgrade election and was re-elected when the list won thirteen seats.Službeni list, City of Belgrade, 25 April 2012, p. 13; Službeni list, City of Belgrade, 25 May 2012, p. 3. He served in both assemblies under a dual mandate, although he did not continue as deputy mayor.
The Socialist Party formed a new coalition government with the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and other parties at the republic level after the 2012 election, and the PUPS was included in the government. Krkobabić led the PUPS group in the national assembly.MILAN KRKOBABIĆ, , National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 April 2024.
He was appointed as director of the state-owned corporation Pošta Srbije in late 2012 and afterward announced plans to privatize certain entities owned by the corporation, including Telekom Srbija and the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport."Buyers sought for Telekom and Belgrade airport Nikola Tesla," Emerging Markets Broker Reports Central Eastern Europe, 6 November 2012."AERO: Privatization of Belgrade Airport possible next year?", Emerging Markets Broker Reports Central Eastern Europe, 6 November 2012. He said that the corporation itself would not be privatized but would seek to acquire assets in other Balkan states."Serbian postal carrier eyes regional peers for acquisition – media," SeeNews - The Corporate Wire, 8 February 2013. See also "Serbia: Poste Srbije's Director reveals expansion plans," Esmerk Eastern European News, 16 October 2014, and "Serbia: Posta Srbije on potential cooperation with several foreign firms," Esmerk Eastern European News, 19 March 2015. He was quoted as saying, "We will not repeat the experiences from the neighbouring countries. This system will strengthen, it will be profitable, fill the budget and create new jobs. We put an end to all attempts to sell, sell off, and disintegrate the system.""Sinteza - Daily Overview, Top Business Stories, Feb 11, 2013," Emerging Markets Broker Reports Central Eastern Europe, 11 February 2013. In the same period, Krkobabić said that the corporation would focus on completing a number of capital investment projects, including a central postal hub in Belgrade."Posta Srbije plans to invest over 4.0 bln dinars (36 mln euro) in 2013 - media," SeeNews - The Corporate Wire, 31 December 2012. In July 2013, he announced that Pošta Srbije had tripled its net income in the first six months of the year."Sinteza - Daily Overview, Top Business Stories, Jul 18, 2013," Emerging Markets Broker Reports Central Eastern Europe, 18 July 2013. He made a similar announcement in a report on the first nine months of the year in October 2013. See "Posta Srbije earns 21.6 mln euro in 9-mo net profit," Emerging Markets Broker Reports Central Eastern Europe, 10 October 2013.
Despite its alliance with the Socialists and Progressives at the republic level, the PUPS initially continued to work in a coalition government with the DS in Belgrade. In this period, Krkobabić supported Đilas's administration at the city level and opposed the SNS's efforts to change the government."Serbian Progressives seen 'tightening grip' on Belgrade mayor," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 12 November 2012 (Source: Vecernje novosti website, Belgrade, in Serbian 8 Nov 12)."Serbian parties plan strategies to win capital mayoral vote - paper," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 24 September 2013 (Source: Blic website, Belgrade, in Serbian 0000 gmt 22 Sep 13). In November 2012, he was a guest at the Democratic Party convention that elected Đilas as the party's new leader."New leader vows to reform opposition party, draft plan for Serbia's recovery," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 26 November 2012 (Source: Radio B92 text website, Belgrade, in English 26 Nov 12). This alliance did not last, however, and in September 2013 Krkobabić and the PUPS withdrew their support from Đilas in a crucial vote of non-confidence."Mayor blames 'political deal' for his sacking" , B92, 24 September 2013, accessed 27 July 2018. Đilas lost his assembly majority and resigned as mayor. These events led to new republican and city elections in early 2014.
Krkobabić was promoted to the second position on the Socialist-led list in the 2014 republic election.Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 16. и 23. марта 2014. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (2 ИВИЦА ДАЧИЋ - "Социјалистичка партија Србије (СПС), Партија уједињених пензионера Србије (ПУПС), Јединствена Србија (ЈС)"), , Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 April 2024. During the campaign, he said that Serbian politics had become marked by "a split between the left and the right, where the left is working for the people, and the right-wing is lining its pockets." Progressive Party leader Aleksandar Vučić responded by saying, "if that's the way to look at it, Krkobabić belongs to the extreme right-wing.""Serbian ruling party leader says 16 March election 'dead-heat race'," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 13 March 2014 (Source: Radio B92 text website, Belgrade, in English 13 Mar 14). The Socialist list again won forty-four mandates, and Krkobabić was elected to a second term. The Progressive Party and its allies won a majority victory and afterward formed a new coalition government that again included the Socialists. The PUPS did not participate directly in the government but provided outside support; notwithstanding his exchange with Vučić in the campaign, Krkobabić became part of the latter's assembly majority. In his second term, Krkobabić was a member of the administrative committeeMILAN KRKOBABIC, , National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 27 May 2022. and continued to serve as Pošta Srbije director.