A lot has happened in Serbia in the last year, but not much has changed. There are, of course, many people who perceive political change as a real turn, but in the light of everyday social landscape, that change did not bring anything new so far. The most important piece of news this year is that the Democratic Party (DS) is no longer a part of the government and has been replaced by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), with former president Boris Tadić (also Head of the Democratic Party) being replaced with Tomislav Nikolić (Head of Serbian Progressive Party). SNS however, was not able to form the government on its own, so it entered a coalition with the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and United Regions of Serbia (URS), both partners former coalition members with Democratic Party. Sounds complicated? It is – no common ideology, unless it is a short-term interest (much like, for instance, a rehabilitation of Draža Mihajlović with the silent approval of DS) involving ministerial and executive seats that translate into practical power. And power comes with money…
Expectations vary from person to person. An average voter in Serbia has a very vague idea of the changes he or she desires and how to go about achieving them, and is therefore likely to “soak in” generic political promises such as: “It will be done, it will be solved, it will be…” Nobody is accountable to answer what, and how exactly. The crisis of moral and the spiritual poverty are never a priority, and they actually constitute the basis for everything else. Corruption is spreading to all spheres of life, and the number of people who wish to eradicate it is minimal. To eradicate it does not mean to just promise arrests and turn into eliot Ness, a figure that Aleksandar Vučić seems to like. At the same time, all the political parties vocal about the issue of “non-partisanship” and nepotism [de-partizacija] in their campaigns filled all the positions with people from their ranks, soon after coming to power. For instance, a son of a high-ranking PUPS [Party of United Pensioners of Serbia. TN] official immediately became the Head of Serbian Postal Service. It is hard to distinguish: was this partisan or nepotistic? As always, it is best to have several aces up your sleeve. Things have become so banal that it is impossible to get a job as a cleaning lady in a mall, without being a member of the party that “makes the list.”
In the last twenty years, citizens of Serbia have grown accustomed to managing corruption, so that money and favors can help them close deals in state institutions, hospitals and schools. They otherwise would not have access to particular services, or it would take away too much time (which in case of medicine for instance, could mean saving a life). Being complicit about corruption instills gilt and elicits justifications such as: “There was no other way, everybody does it, I was asked for money, it is not a bribe – it is a gift etc.” Even if a profound change was to take place (and currently it amounts to wishful thinking), people would be asking: “What do you mean, it is not possible? Not even for money?”
The crisis in which the state, more specifically the current Minister of Finance and Economy Mlađan Dinkić, considers every family with the income above 80.000 dinars a month [around 700 euro, according to September exchange rate] a well-off family, while the average consumption necessitates at least 100.000 – it seems that all bets are off. When there are no drugs in the pharmacies (children’s medicine brufen is nowhere to be found since May) and no oil and sugar in the stores, things start to look a lot like the last decade of the 20th century, when it felt like we had hit rock bottom, while there was a sense of recovery in the first years of the new millennium.
The “Both Kosovo and European Union” politics advocated by Boris Tadić receives a noteworthy amendment in the new government and Nikolić’s cabinet: “Kosovo and EU, and Russia, and USA, and Germany, and China, and Batman, and Superman…” It speaks not of open mind and broad horizons, but is telling of the desire to escape concrete actions and measures.
These days there is a motto “we don’t want to rush to EU” or, in the words of President Nikolić “Serbia will, in the further process of euro-integration, have its own conditions, because there is no reason to chase after a certain date and a piece of paper.” This intention not to run after a piece of paper reminds me of one of those bizarre situations that we all experience: you are so late for an event, that it no longer matters when you arrive. And if you arrive at all. However, we all do make it for the important events, so we have to ask: does the lack of hurry signify a lack of importance as well? “Ten years of hastening has brought Serbia to poverty. Now we need to think of ourselves. We have friends all over, let them compete in helping Serbia” Nikolić continues.Rhetorically, to a segment of public that saw him as a best candidate for the president, this sounds like: “Serbia will not bow its head” statement of the 21st century. In reality – it still stands for the lack of responsibility, and shifting the burden to “friends” who are supposed to compete to help Serbia. Again, rhetorically, this short-term boost of moral might mean something to some people, but without clear leadership in the processes of integration, but also in the issues of national policy, this amounts to a phrase that doesn’t even serve the day-to-day political gains.
Whether Serbia rushes into EU, or proceeds slowly “without rushing and being caught flat footed” (Suzana Grubješić, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration), Serbia is unprepared and short of breath. Sweeping problems under the carpet and leaving the problems to somebody else: new government, EU, friends, NGOs from the country and from abroad, Superman, Batman, Alan Ford… all of this has left Serbia lagging behind for ten years. Recent procrastination could help with keeping few of the managerial seats, but does not help solve the problems.
Gay Pride Parade was not held this year in Serbia, similar to last year, due to the threats coming from various right-wing groups. Once again, Serbia backed down pressured by the hooligans, and gave space for increased homophobic violence directed at anyone looking differently. even though this year the parade was the last in the series of events, the impact of small panel discussions and off-radar exhibitions to real social change is questionable. It also begs the question of how many people have access to it.
Generally speaking, global and European political processes determine the course of Serbia as well, being unstoppable in the era of globalization and the Internet. Too much time was spent just floating and waiting for the friendly boat of salvation to take us to a peaceful and opulent harbor. Until Batman comes, we need to swim a bit – but I am afraid Batman is in no rush either, he doesn’t want to be caught flat footed.
Katarina Milićević