Serbian parliament adopts 2026 budget, sets deficit at 3%

BELGRADE, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Serbia's parliament on Wednesday adopted the country's 2026 budget, setting a fiscal deficit of 337 billion dinars ($3.35 billion), or 3% of gross domestic product.

The budget sets total revenues at 2,414.7 billion dinars and expenditure at 2,751.7 billion dinars.

It also allocates 164 billion dinars Serbia could use for the takeover of U.S.-sanctioned oil firm NIS from its Russian majority owners Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, if they do not sell their stake by mid-January.

The adoption of the 2026 spending plan came as a formality, as the ruling coalition led by the populist Serbian Progressive Party has a comfortable majority of 154 deputies in the 250-seat parliament.

Total capital spending is set at 602 billion dinars, with the largest allocation, of 47.5 billion dinars, for the Expo 2027 international fair.

The budget also includes funds needed for the reintroduction of mandatory military service over the next three years, and more spending on public sector wages and pensions.

($1 = 100.6900 Serbian dinars)

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Jan Harvey)