Serbian lawmakers voted on Thursday to elect the country’s first gay woman Prime Minister.

The 250-seat Serbian Parliament voted overwhelmingly to elect 41-year-old Ana Brnabic Prime Minister following the proposal by President Aleksander Vucic.

Brnabic’s election as the first openly gay prime minister is of particular note in Serbia, as the Balkan region is known as a hostile place for gays.

She made her entrance into politics last year, serving as a public administration minister, after a career in business and development programs.

Vucic’s nomination of Brnabic was seen throughout Europe as a signal that Serbia is distancing itself from Russia after the country proclaimed its goal of joining the European Union.

Brnabic has said she would make joining the EU one of her top priorities.
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