The unexpected resignation of Dušan Borovčanin, director of Serbia’s key public project EXPO 2027, raises concerns about serious difficulties in project execution with just 18 months remaining before the exhibition’s opening.
A major issue surfaced when President Aleksandar Vučić announced in April that construction of the National Stadium—a crucial part of the project—was delayed by four months. Despite plans to recover lost time with triple shifts over the summer, by the end of June only 0.21% of the stadium’s allocated budget for the year was spent, signaling slow progress. Overall, payments for major infrastructure projects reached just 23% by June.
Nenad Ivanišević, a civil engineering expert, notes that spending below 1% suggests significant delays, although early-stage construction phases typically cost less than finishing works. Without a detailed execution plan, the situation remains unclear.
Borovčanin, 33 and with limited large-project management experience, was replaced by Danilo Jerinić, who previously directed EXPO’s operations sector and has a strong track record in exhibition design, construction management, logistics, and event coordination. The leadership change suggests a push to accelerate the troubled project.
EXPO 2027’s capital was increased last year from initial funds to €35 million, paid just weeks before Borovčanin’s resignation. However, construction has proceeded without all required permits, partly due to officials’ reluctance to sign documents following a fatal accident in Novi Sad.
By late June, EXPO-related expenditures included 31% of this year’s budget on buildings and construction facilities, and 24.5% on land expropriation. Yet, public construction works overall declined by 10.2% in early 2025, reflecting the state’s diversion of funds from other projects (such as metro and healthcare) toward EXPO.
Official deadlines state that the National Stadium, not officially part of EXPO but critical for Serbia’s international image, should be completed by the end of 2026. Construction was to begin in April 2024, but the building permit for the first phase was only granted in August 2024. The stadium will hold 52,000 seats.
The EXPO 2027 Belgrade residential complex, planned to host 3,500 residents in 1,500 apartments over 160,000 m² near the expo site, was scheduled to start construction in April 2024.
Additionally, a new railway line connecting Zemun Polje, Nikola Tesla Airport, and the EXPO site is part of the infrastructure plan.
