Zdravko Ponoš

He is president of the centrist, pro-European party Serbia Centre (SRCE) and has been a member of the National Assembly since February 2024. He was the opposition's presidential candidate in 2022. As of October 2026 he is named among the possible contenders for the next Serbian presidential election.

Career

Ponoš graduated in electronic engineering from a military technical academy in Zagreb in 1986 and took a master's degree in global navigation systems at the University of Belgrade in 1999. He rose to colonel in 2000 and major general in 2005, and served as Chief of the General Staff from December 2006 to December 2008, appointed by President Boris Tadić; he left the post after a public dispute with Defence Minister Dragan Šutanovac. He retired in 2009, then worked with Vuk Jeremić and the CIRSD think tank. He co-founded the People's Party in 2017, left it in 2021, and ran for president in 2022 for the United for the Victory of Serbia coalition, placing second with about 18%. He founded Serbia Centre in 2022, led it from registration in 2023, and entered parliament on the Serbia Against Violence list.

Positions

Wikipedia reports that Ponoš describes himself as a centrist and pro-European politician; observers have also called his views reformist or moderate conservative. He supports Serbia's EU accession and cooperation with NATO through the Partnership for Peace, but opposes NATO membership and favours military neutrality. He opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and backed sanctions on Russia. He opposes recognising Kosovo's independence while calling for a negotiated solution. At home he favours having the National Assembly elect the president, supports civil partnerships and opposes adoption by same-sex couples, prefers better officer pay to mandatory conscription, and is an opponent of the Serbian Progressive Party.

Summarised automatically from the linked sources. Wikipedia

Photo: Južne vesti, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons (cropped)