Rade Basta

Rade Basta (Serbian Cyrillic: Раде Баста; born 21 February 1979) is a Serbian politician who served as minister of economy from 2022 to 2023. A former member of United Serbia (JS), he served as a member of the National Assembly of Serbia from August to October 2022.

Rade Basta
Раде Баста
Basta in 2023
Minister of Economy
In office
26 October 2022 – 22 June 2023[lower-alpha 1]
Prime MinisterAna Brnabić
Preceded byAnđelka Atanasković
Succeeded bySiniša Mali (acting)
Slobodan Cvetković
Member of the National Assembly
In office
1 August 2022 – 25 October 2022
Personal details
Born (1979-02-21) 21 February 1979
Novi Sad, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Political party
  • JS (until 2023)
  • PEP (since 2023)
Alma mater
OccupationPolitician
Military service
Allegiance FR Yugoslavia
Branch/serviceArmy of FR Yugoslavia
Years of service1998–1999
Battles/warsKosovo War

Born in Novi Sad, he graduated from the University of Novi Sad in 2002. He was an advisor to Srđan Kružević during his tenure as the director of Elektrovojvodina, a deputy provincial secretary for energy, and briefly a member of the City Assembly of Novi Sad in 2016. As of 2018, he has been the president of Belgrade Power Plants, a public communal company. He was an associate during Goran Vesić's tenure as deputy mayor of Belgrade. He is a supporter of nuclear power while he also argued that Serbia should establish a scientific-research center for nuclear technologies with the United States and European Union, and that Serbia should build a nuclear power plant.

Basta was appointed minister of economy in the third cabinet of Ana Brnabić in October 2022. Since then, Basta has openly supported introducing sanctions against Russia, which was met with backlash from JS and the Socialist Party of Serbia, and has supported the mass protests that began in May 2023. He was dismissed from JS and the government in June 2023. Soon after, he formed the European Way Movement.

Early life

Basta was born on 21 February 1979 in Novi Sad, Socialist Republic of Serbia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[1][2] He fought in the Kosovo War.[3] He finished his secondary education at a school in Sremska Kamenica, graduated from the University of Novi Sad in 2002, and earned his master's degree from the University of the Academy of Commerce in Novi Sad in 2012.[2]

Career

He began his career as a worker at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 1998; he worked there until 2005.[2] Basta worked as an adviser to Srđan Kružević, a former United Serbia (JS) member, when Kružević was the director of Elektrovojvodina.[4][5] Basta was later appointed deputy provincial secretary for energy in July 2016.[6] He was elected member of the City Assembly of Novi Sad in 2016 but resigned shortly afterwards.[7] At the end of 2016, he was appointed president of the JS branch in Vojvodina.[4][8] In September 2018, he became the president of the Belgrade Power Plants, a public communal company.[9] He served as deputy president of the JS, until his dismissal on 10 June 2023.[1][4][10]

Marko Bastać, then a member of the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), accused Basta of leading security guards that allegedly beat a group of people after the promotion of Goran Vesić's book in October 2019.[11] During Vesić's tenure as deputy mayor of Belgrade, Basta served as his associate.[12] Basta was elected to the City Assembly of Belgrade after the 2022 Belgrade City Assembly election, although he resigned shortly after.[7] He was elected to the National Assembly of Serbia after the snap 2022 Serbian parliamentary election.[13] As a member of the JS parliamentary group, he served as a member of the committee on defence an internal affairs and committee for agriculture, forestry, and water management; he was also a deputy member of the committee for finance, republic budget, and control of spending of public funds.[13] He resigned from his position as a member of the National Assembly on 25 October 2022.[14]

Following his dismissal from JS, he formed the European Way Movement (PEP), which according to him would advocate for faster accession of Serbia to the European Union.[15] PEP would also take part in the upcoming parliamentary election.[16]

Minister of Economy

Initially speculated to be appointed as a Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water economy, it was announced on 23 October 2022 that he would serve as a minister of economy instead.[4] He was sworn in on 26 October, succeeding Anđelka Atanasković.[12][17]

Dragan Marković, the leader of JS, and Ivica Dačić, the leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia submitted a proposal to dismiss Basta from the government on 22 June due to his support for introducing sanctions against Russia.[18][19] Siniša Mali took over his function on the same day,[20][21] while the National Assembly dismissed him on 11 July.[22]

Political positions

Basta is a supporter of nuclear power and argued that Serbia should build a nuclear power plant to ensure a stable supply of electricity.[23] He also proposed that the government of Serbia should establish the National Corporation for Atomic Energy.[23] He also stated that the Serbian-Russian Humanitarian Center in Niš should be abolished, and that Serbia needs to open a scientific-research center for nuclear technologies with the United States and European Union.[24] He has supported the mass protests that began in May 2023.[25]

Basta supports sanctioning Russia due to their invasion of Ukraine and he has been vocally supportive of Ukraine.[26][27][28] This prompted reaction from JS, which is opposed to introducing sanctions.[29]

Personal life

By profession, Basta claims to be an economist.[13] He was formerly a kickboxer, a policeman, and a professor of physical education.[4] He received the "Captain Miša Anastasijević" award in December 2012 for his contribution to the development of entrepreneurship and social creativity.[5] He served as the director of FK Radnički Niš from December 2016 to November 2017.[30][31] He resides in Belgrade.[13]

Notes
  1. Siniša Mali took over his function on 22 June 2023, however the National Assembly dismissed him on 11 July 2023

References
  1. "Rade Basta". Istinomer (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  2. "Odluka o izboru Vlade i biografije predloženih članova Vlade" (PDF). National Assembly of Serbia (in Serbian). 24 October 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  3. "Polemika Radeta Baste i Boška Obradovića: Ko je ratovao za Kosovo i ko je za NATO". Danas (in Serbian). 9 April 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  4. Savić, Danilo (23 October 2022). "Potvrđeno: Rade Basta novi ministar privrede". NOVA portal (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  5. "Ferko napustio DS, Palmini ga zaposlili u Elektrovojvodinu". 021.rs (in Serbian). 26 July 2013. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  6. "Održana četvrta sednica Skupštine AP Vojvodine". Assembly of Vojvodina (in Serbian). 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  7. "Rade Basta". Otvoreni Parlament (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  8. "Basta novi predsednik PO Jedinstvene Srbije". Radio Television of Vojvodina (in Serbian). 11 December 2016. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  9. "Imenovani novi direktori više beogradskih javnih preduzeća". N1 (in Serbian). 25 September 2018. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  10. "JS zatražila smenu svog ministra Radeta Baste, Nova.rs piše - osniva novi pokret". N1 (in Serbian). 20 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  11. "Bastać: Vesić naložio svom obezbedjenju da bije mirne gradjane kako bi skrenuo pažnju sa korupcije". Novinska agencija Beta (in Serbian). 15 October 2019. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  12. "Ko je Rade Basta, novi ministar u Vladi Srbije". Danas (in Serbian). 23 October 2022. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  13. "Rade Basta" (in Serbian). National Assembly of Serbia. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  14. "Poslanicima kojima je prestao mandat". National Assembly of Serbia (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  15. "Rade Basta: Formirao sam pokret Evropski put (PEP) i izlazim na sve predstojeće izbore". Danas (in Serbian). 20 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  16. "Rade Basta osnovao pokret Evropski put i najavio izlazak na izbore". N1 (in Serbian). 20 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  17. "Druga posebna sednica Narodne skupštine Republike Srbije u Trinaestom sazivu". National Assembly of Serbia (in Serbian). 26 October 2022. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  18. Valtner, Lidija (22 June 2023). "Rade Basta potvrdio da je zahtev za njegovu smenu poslat Skupštini: Očekuje da naprednjaci neće prihvatiti predlog SPS i JS". Danas (in Serbian). Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  19. "Jedinstvena Srbija zatražila smenu svog ministra Radeta Baste". Novinska agencija Beta (in Serbian). 20 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  20. "Siniša Mali preuzeo ovlašćenja do izbora novog ministra privrede". Danas (in Serbian). 23 June 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  21. "Vlada Srbije: Ministar privrede Rade Basta razrešen dužnosti". Vreme (in Serbian). 22 June 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  22. "Skupština izglasala smenu ministra Radeta Baste". N1 (in Serbian). 11 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  23. "Direktor "Beogradskih elektrana": Srbija treba da gradi nuklearnu elektranu". N1 (in Serbian). 25 June 2022. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  24. "Direktor Beogradskih elektrana: Ukinuti Srpsko-ruski humanitarni centar, praviti nuklearnu energiju sa SAD i EU". Danas (in Serbian). 22 May 2022. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  25. Milenković, M. R. (16 June 2023). "INTERVJU Rade Basta: Svi članovi Vlade Srbije morali su da budu na ulici sa građanima zbog tragedije". Danas (in Serbian). Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  26. "Ministar Rade Basta traži da se Vlada izjasni o sankcijama Rusiji: Za uvođenje sankcija sam". Danas (in Serbian). 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  27. "Basta sa ukrajinskim poslanicima: Rusija izvršila agresiju na Ukrajinu, naš cilj članstvo u EU za pet godina". Euronews (in Serbian). 5 April 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  28. "Ministar Basta sa ukrajinskim ambasadorom o ekonomskim posledicama zbog rata u Ukrajini". Srpska ekonomija (in Serbian). Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  29. "Palma: Basta izneo lični, a ne stranački stav o sankcijama". Direktno (in Serbian). 13 March 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  30. Nikolić, A.; Stankov, A. (8 December 2016). "Ivica Tončev novi predsednik Radničkog". Južne vesti (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  31. Jovanović, M. (15 November 2017). "Radnički dobio novog direktora kluba". Južne vesti (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
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