Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has
chosen Ana Brnabic, who is openly lesbian, to be the nation's next
prime minister.
According to the BBC, parliamentary
approval is still needed, but Vucic's party and its allies hold an
overwhelming majority in the chamber, making passage largely a
formality.
“If elected in parliament, I will run
the government with dedication and responsibility and I will do my
job honestly and with love,” Brnabic, 41, told state Tanjug news
agency.
The news comes just days after Irish
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar made history as Ireland's first openly
gay taoiseach, or prime minister.
The BBC's Guy De Launey said that
Brnabic's role is likely to be largely symbolic and that Vucic will
continue to run the government. He added that in this case, because
anti-LGBT rhetoric remains high in Serbia, the symbolism carries real
weight.
The Telegraph reported that the
move is certain to infuriate the Christian Orthodox church and
ultra-nationalists.
Belgium and Iceland have had openly gay
heads of state, while Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel in 2015
became the
first European Union leader to marry a person of the same sex while
in office.