LOCAL PRESS

UN seat lurking behind the US package (Novosti/Beta/B92/Tanjug)

The new US package, which could be presented to Serbian officials on Wednesday, when US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell, Trump’s envoy, arrives in Belgrade, will put Serbia and President Aleksandar Vucic in a very delicate position: how to move the resolution of the Kosovo issue from a dead center, yet to avoid potential hidden traps of Washington and being placed before the choice – the US or Russia. The document proposes broader executive powers for the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) which was reached during the dialogue in Brussels. Also the document proposes for Serbs to have wider authority in education, health care and culture. According to his plan the ZSO would maintain close institutional cooperation with a Kosovo deputy prime minister elected from the Serb community, who would control the work of the ZSO. In return Belgrade is expected to allow Pristina to join international organizations, the daily writes. Novosti citing diplomatic sources reported that the US decided to make the move finding Brussels quite “inert” about Kosovo. “In the context of an increasingly vivid informal option of dividing Kosovo, the administration in Washington wouldn’t like to see Belgrade’s de jure takeover of Kosovo, creating a buffer zone between Bosniaks and Albanians, their reliable allies, and allowing Serbia to take control of Mt. Kopanik and Zubin Potok, two important   strategic points,” the paper explained. The daily also wrote that the downside of the proposal was that a huge burden of responsibility would be shifted to Vucic’s shoulders. It’s hardly a coincidence that the president of the state is the first address the package will reach, being the most prominent political figure in Serbia, Novosti reported.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told Novosti that the visit this week by Wess Mitchell was very important – and that it was the first visit of such a high ranked official from the new Washington administration. Dacic said he had a chance to meet with Mitchell, and that the first impressions were positive. The Chairman of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun, however, says the US document offers nothing new to Serbia, and promises nothing concrete. He also warned of the danger of the package being designed to attempt to make Serbia take sides in the geo-political war between the US and Russia. “Difficult days are ahead of Serbia, we have our way to the EU, but that does not mean we will renounce Kosovo. It seems to me that now Washington is asking us to agree that Pristina joins the UN and so give up Kosovo, and in return, they offer nothing. Even the offer of broad executive powers of the ZSO is not new, because this is already envisaged by the agreement signed five years ago, whose implementation Pristina is persistently blocking. A much more honest approach by the US would be to finally force Pristina to sit down and starts with the formation of the ZSO,” Drecun said.

Vulin: No negotiations about what has already been negotiated (RTS/Tanjug)

Serbia will not do anything that is to the detriment of its vital national interests and there are no pressures over which we would agree to recognize Kosovo, Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin said regarding the media reports that the US had prepared a “Kosovo package”. “This is not the first time that pressure is exerted on the Serbian government and primarily on President Vucic, but he is a person who handles pressure very well and also the wishes of the great powers to place us where they think we should be placed, without asking Serbian citizens and our country what it thinks about all that,” said Vulin in Srebrenica.

Mihajlovic: It was PM who launched reshuffle story (B92/Tanjug)

Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlovic says Prime Minister Ana Brnabic opened the topic of reconstruction of the government. Mihajlovic stressed that the SNS has not yet decided on that.

“The issue of reconstructing the government seems to me to have been opened, at some point, by the prime minister, but I’m really returning the story to our party. We will talk in our party when the time comes for such a thing – a possible reconstruction of the government,” she Mihajlovic, who is a member of the SNS Presidency, while answering journalists’ questions. As she said, the party did not have any meetings nor has the SNS Presidency discussed the topic. What has been discussed in the party these days, she added, are the results in the city elections in Belgrade, and she pointed out that the SNS is proud of the trust that citizens have given them.

EU says is not seeking recognition of Kosovo by Belgrade (Tanjug)

Reacting to Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic’s statement that a part of the international community is lying to Belgrade and wants only recognition, not compromise, diplomatic sources in the EU told Tanjug on Friday that that is not how things work, declining to comment on statements made by every individual politician. “Recognition is not something that is a question for the EU. We insist that both sides work on normalization, and within the EU itself, we have five member states that do not recognize Kosovo’s independence, including one that is explicitly against it,” the diplomatic sources said in Brussels.

Sutanovac resigns, but stays in DS (Beta/RTS/Tanjug)

Democratic Party (DS) President Dragan Sutanovac handed in his resignation on Sunday, because of the party’s poor results in the recently held local elections in Belgrade, but announced that he would not be leaving the party. Sutanovac said at a session of the DS Main Board that the decision is not the result of pressure but that he feels responsible for the party’s results in the Belgrade elections. “Even after the stumble I think that we are the best party in Serbia. I call on all DS members to think about what should be done and for all of us together to create a new environment, because the way that we are doing things is not functional,” Sutanovac said. Sutanovac said that he would remain loyal to the DS, where he has been for 21 years. He would not comment whether the decision not to join a broader pre-election coalition was good or not, but added that the decision obviously did not motivate the voters.

Djindjic Interview to Novosti (one week prior to his assassination)

Some people in the country and the world have already started looking at you with suspicion over Kosovo and Metohija…

It is true that I have already damaged my relations over Kosovo and Metohija with a lot of my colleagues in international organizations. Some of them understood my efforts as putting the finger in the eye. However, for me, Kosovo and Metohija is the number one state priority. In fact, the status of Kosovo is Serbia’s status. We cannot round up the statehood of Serbia until we know what the status of Kosovo and Metohija is. I have been elected to represent and defend Serbia’s interests. The first thing – when you want to defend something – is to know what you are defending. The world must understand that the Serb democrats, and myself as the Serbian Prime Minister, after two years, still cannot say what is our state. They must understand and accept: that this is for us a big problem as it would be for any other normal state and nation. That Belgrade cannot, thus, accept the further postponing of the “final status” issue. The reactions that have reached me were really pretty nervous. But I have the impression that I have caught some in the middle of some “activities.” It seems to me we are ruining to someone the concept for the Balkans and Kosovo and Metohija. One should understand them. They have just created their concept, and then some Djindjic starts to “turn on the light.” And says: stop, we cannot on like this anymore, let’s see what has been done so far and where are we heading. This reaction was proof for me that, in fact, there is some silent plan to round-up Kosovo’s independence in 2004 or 2005.

On the basis of what are you assuming that at issue is a whole plan, at least a silent one?

Although I don’t have evidence for everything, I am really afraid that there already exists such “silent plan.” Furthermore, that its integral part is the intention, once Belgrade faces this realistically, is for the main concession to Serbia to be that they will not allow the secession of such, in fact, already independent Kosovo and Metohija. I suspect that we would then be told: well, now you harmonize relations with Pristina. It is easy, unfortunately, to presume: that in such a situation we would not be able to influence the events in Kosovo and that we could be working on “harmonizing” for decades where the entire responsibility would be with Belgrade. This would exclude us for a long period of time from European integrations and would be very dangerous for stability and Serbia and the entire region. Since the beginning of January, when I started the diplomatic offensive, until present time nothing has essentially changed, but the paste of transferring Serbia’s sovereignty to the local Albanian authority and in the sphere of security has been “slowed down.” This not a small thing, but it is not enough. For the same reason Steiner’s initiative is not enough. Things will essentially start changing only when the international community says: the solution is in the compromise asked by UNSCR 1244. The solution is in the essential autonomy for Kosovo and Metohija, the return of the expelled Serbs and the return of the envisaged number of our policemen to the province. In the strict implementation of UNSCR 1244 until the last letter. Only when such voices begin arriving from New York and Brussels – the situation will start essentially changing for the better.

As you speak, are you taking into account the answers you have received to the letters you had recently sent to the leaders of the largest countries, from George Bush to Vladimir Putin?

Not directly. In those answers, which have partially arrived in closed mail, partially through ambassadors, there has been recognition that, over the past years, many things happened in Kosovo and Metohija that were not envisaged by UNSCR 1244. The answers contain clear favoring for respecting that resolution, but this is no guarantee for me. That is why – this will be our official request – we will ask for analysis of the achieved to be made on the occasion of the four years since the arrival of the international mission to Kosovo and Metohija. We will ask that experts of the SC, EU, Belgrade and Pristina take part in the making of such analysis. To form a team that will prepare a “white book” about the past four years, that would show: all the things that haven’t been done, how many people have been returned to the province, why the decrees on the return of our army and police have not been realized, what happened to the “essential autonomy”, normalization of relations, with the standards Steiner often talks about?”

How do you imagine more concretely this “white book”?

We will ask that everything that had been envisaged by UNSCR 1244 be assessed according to the scale from one to five.

When will all that be officially requested from Belgrade?

I suppose we will have to wait for the outcome of the Iraqi crisis. There is an international “technology” for such things. First the topic should be put up for candidacy and we should convince the relevant international factors in its importance and urgency. The second phase would be made up of: the resolution of the resolution. Unfortunately, nothing will be easy. Even if the world accepts our “candidacy” of the topic. And if it admits that everything is important and serious. Because, if it could have and wanted to resolve our Kosovo and Metohija knot, it would have resolved until now. And we are only in the first phase that has not yet ended. Thus, it is important that we create several more concentric circles, so that when someone says “Kosovo” nobody in the world will be able to say “Well, that has been resolved,” but rather “Well, this is a problem, some dangerous things are happening over there.” We have still not created the necessary number of diplomatic and political circles around Kosovo and Metohija, in the world policy. We have still not animated all those who should support the compromise solution. Our greatest opponent, as before, is: oblivion, over which problems like the one we have are put under the carpet, and then, after a certain period of time, appear as unique illegal construction. I am saying all this because I fear that the international community could say in some time: the Kosovo and Metohija “illegal construction” has become so large that we cannot destroy it, let us legalize it.

You obviously fear that Kosovo and Metohija could become to the world an international Kaludjerica (Belgrade suburb where a lot of illegal constructing has been going on)?

That’s right. This is in the final phase of the “construction.” Formally without the permission of the UNSC.

What will be Belgrade’s reaction, and yours as the prime minister if the international community soon says: Kosovo has de facto become independent, you are left with harmonizing relations with it?

We will not accept that. If the international community, which is stronger from us, really has the intention of saying – “Kosovo should be independent,” I would like to hear this. I would like this to be officially stated. Double standards are the worst: talking about the inviolability of borders, about sovereignty, about SCR 1244, while, on the other side, opposing things are being done, where nobody is rebelling, where some are forced to be silent, while others are pretending to be naïve. Where the weaker side is conveying: do not make waves to your detriment.

Don’t you fear that the “international community” is slowly getting us used to the idea that it would be best for us to agree with an independent Kosovo and Metohija?

It is possible that someone has this idea. Only, independently from this, we must define our national interest in Kosovo and Metohija and to look for allies for our stands regarding it. We cannot allow anymore to define our national interest according to what some other people think our national interest is. As a person who is thinking about my children and grandchildren, I am worried with the demographic situation, the misbalance between the Albanian and Serb increase in the population. So much that I am seriously thinking about the future of the Serbian state in which one and a half million Albanians would have the right to buy property in Terazije (downtown Belgrade), to buy companies on privatizations – with the money from drug trade measured by dozens of billions of dollars. Because of the present state-of-affairs I am seriously concerned for Serbia that we are leaving to our children and grandchildren. We must find some totally different new solution.

Where is the solution and how fast can we head towards it?

The solution can and must be only a compromise. I think it should be found gradually, but talks should commence immediately. This solution must not be a radical one right away. Neither because of the Serbs not the international community nor the Albanians. It shouldn’t also be based on unrealistic assumptions. Personally, I can hardly imagine loyal Kosovo Albanians in a Serbian state. And it is difficult for a state to function normally with a large number of disloyal populations. Such state would not be our lasting national interest. But, on the other hand, Serbia has its state right in Kosovo and Metohija as well. Independently from the direction in which the search for compromise solutions would further head: in the direction of such and such autonomy or something else. Serbia is not under a protectorate so someone could impose on it a solution for any part of its territory. Independently from my personal views, we will see in the discussions in our political structures and broader in the country: how big is the interest  of the Serbian nation for co-existing with the Albanian, how much can Serbia’s state interest be achieved in the region of Kosovo and Metohija. Looking at what awaits us also implies a perspective estimate of our national history in the next 20, 30 – 50 years. Regarding Kosovo and Metohija, we must see Serbia at least until 2050, to foresee trends and say what is our national and state interest in view of the borders, sovereignty, state relations, and unions. The condition for this is for us to be accepted as a partner in seeking a solution.

If the UNSC opts for one of these two things, and Serbia says “we do not accept that”, then what?

I think the SC cannot make such a decision. I don’t fear the SC to decide: that Kosovo and Metohija is independent, that inter-state borders are changing one-sidedly. It will never do this. But, it could lead to a factual state that would be unbearable for us. It could “serve” us a factually independent Kosovo and Metohija inside the formally unchanged borders.

Have you received so far any reactions to your new stands from Pristina and Albanian Kosovo politicians?

All of my knowledge says that they are very angry. Perhaps because one top international representative from Pristina has admitted to me – everything that you bode – is already happening, but this is a process that is very difficult to change. I have the impression, and I think I am not in the wrong here, that they are angry because I hit right in the middle. Now suddenly – something that had to be performed behind the screen and in silence – has gone public. My initiatives have removed the screen and everything became the subject of discussion. I am not worried too much with negative international reactions. Everything that I have achieved in life, I have done by swimming in the direction of the water. I have never chosen the easy way. That is why I think we don’t have the right to it, especially when the key issue of Serbian statehood is on the agenda of history. The issue without whose resolution we will not be able to plan our future, or to resolve the problem of Serb ethnic endangerment, greatly caused by the unclear status of the Serbian state, threatened to become the subject of other ethnic appetites. I am deeply convinced that we must have a finally rounded state since it cannot only defend in such a way its national interest. We should not be satisfied anymore by having sovereignty outside, while some “eighth passenger” is eating us from the inside. We don’t need a cuckoo’s egg in the state nest. I would not like to take part in something over which someone could have reason to say about me in fifty years: that Djindjic was naïve, he was making a state for someone else.

You have recently spoken about Kosovo’s federalization. How realistic is this?

“The first thing is for the Serbs to receive the status of the constituent nation, and not of a national minority in Kosovo and Metohija. I expect us to win this after the “white book” I spoke about is made. The provisional constitutional framework has not ensured the Serbs and non-Albanians the possibilities for self-protection. This has de-motivated their return and left them in a submissive position. The UNSC, and not the Albanians, is the real partner for talks on this, because the Albanians will naturally refuse this. We will ask for the “white book” in the course of June. Somewhat later – in the fall, in any case before the end of the year – we expect talks to commence in the SC about the federalization of Kosovo and Metohija and giving Serbs constituent rights. If this doesn’t function, the next crossroad would probably have to be talks on some Cyprian model for Kosovo and Metohija, with a civilized territorial deployment of the population. If Serbs cannot realize their rights as the inhabitants of the entity where Albanians are a majority, they will naturally move to places where they are an ethnic majority. As has been the case so far. Serbs and Albanians have never lived together in Kosovo and Metohija. They have always lived next to each other. A multi-ethnic Kosovo society – this is a great illusion. It has never existed. It was a society of ethnic co-existence. And that is why we are not saying: let this happen once again. I would like Kosovo and Metohija to be a federation and for Serbia to have an asymmetrical relation with this federation – deeper ties with the Serb entity, and with the Albanian entity those in the interest of Albanians – meaning a bit looser ties. Serbia can “endure” such form of relations with Kosovo and Metohija. But, I repeat again, Serbia must know where it stands.”

And what if it turns out that this other “crossroad” is not right solution?

If this doesn’t function at all, then an internal division would have to follow after two-three years. A solution on which Serbia, Kosovo Serbs and Albanians, plus the international community would agree in a peaceful manner. The final, spare option is: an international conference where one would see: why all this isn’t functioning and how to resolve it for good.  We in Belgrade must have a solution if neither the first nor the second formula functions. We don’t want to go with the last option right away. This would be too harsh and too radical for some people. But, Serbia must know in every option what is its minimum and to provide it protection. Regarding this, I am confused with the fact that our domestic analysts are mostly against my Kosovo and Metohija initiative, that they don’t see any strategy in it, but only election marketing. However, it makes me happy that ordinary people, as far as I can tell, support my ideas, saying: let us resolve this, this is a disease that is killing us.

REGIONAL PRESS

Inzko presents two proposals of amendments to Election Law of B&H in Brussels (TV1)

High Representative (HR) Valentin Inzko presented two proposals of amendments to the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) in Brussels. Both proposals refer to the method of election of delegates to the Federation of B&H House of Peoples (HoP) and they do not concern the method of election of B&H Presidency members, since representatives of the international community believe that this part is more complicated and difficult for reaching an agreement in a short time. The first proposal stipulates the electoral method of voting similar to the US electoral vote, and it says that representatives of cantons would be elected and it would be decided which 17 delegates from each of constituent peoples will be elected to the Federation of B&H HoP. The second proposal stipulates keeping the principle that each canton gives at least one delegate from all three peoples. “We would introduce a threshold and keep the ‘1-1-1’ principle. It is important to preserve the principle in which we have three peoples from each canton, but if this is not the case then we would have certain percentage of Croats or other representatives for instance”, Inzko explained. He stressed it is now up to the US and the EU which lead this process to reach an agreement with B&H politicians.

SDA representatives commented on the proposals and said that they are not sufficiently elaborated, warning that the proposals must respect the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Constitution of B&H and the Constitution of the Federation of B&H.

“The Constitution of the Federation of B&H clearly stipulates that each canton must ensure for each elected representative of all three constituent peoples to have access to the Federation of B&H HoP. This is the first principle that I mention when I say that the Constitution of the Federation of B&H must be respected”, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) of B&H Sefik Dzaferovic (SDA) said.

Member of SDP Presidency Zoran Mikulic said that no official proposal has arrived from the OHR, and added that SDP will take a stance after it arrives. He acknowledged that the mentioned solutions were discussed during the talks, but added that no formulas for election of delegates were presented.

HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic stated on February 15 that someone has created perception that it is enough to make an agreement on election of delegates in Federation of B&H HoP, but added that he perpetually reiterates that someone wants to elect two members of B&H Presidency. HDZ BiH Presidency Barisa Colak assessed that “certain political parties” are obviously waiting for “someone else” to solve this matter. Mikulic told that the mentioned models for amending the Election Law are unrealistic.

SBB B&H’s Damir Arnaut stated: “I am surprised that the HR gave up on the firm agreement according to which no details of the agreement are stated in the public and this is the agreement that the EU and USA reached with all protagonists of this process, especially since B&H protagonists stick to this agreement.” He added: “I will continue to respect this agreement and with this move of the HR, the OHR took over huge responsibility regarding the final outcome of this. This is for the second time in two days that we see deviation between the OHR and the EU after the EU called on B&H Council of Ministers on Wednesday to submit proposal of changes to Law on Criminal Procedure, which SBB B&H approves, while the HR Inzko advocated SDA’s proposal on the same day.”

Dodik: No decision of High Representative will be accepted (RTRS)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik commented recent claims of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Curtis M. Scaparrotti given during the hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington on Thursday. Namely, Scaparrotti said that strengthening of Russia’s influence in Europe, especially in the Western Balkans, is one of the biggest problems. Also, Scaparrotti stated that Russia uses its relations with the RS leaders to undermine state-level institutions. Dodik emphasized that the RS has not been destabilizing institutions in B&H – individually or with anyone’s assistance – adding that NATO structures are well informed about this. He went on saying that labeling of one people only because of their traditionally good relations with Russia is something irresponsible and dangerous, being that the abovementioned statements were given by a high-ranking NATO official. The RS President deems that “entire story” is result of anti-Russian hysteria in which Serbs are collateral damage. “There is no such influence of Russia here. Russia will not and cannot destroy B&H, because B&H has been falling apart on its own. It is pointless country,” stressed Dodik. Commenting statement of High Representative Valentin Inzko that in case B&H political factors fail to reach an agreement regarding amending of the Election Law of B&H, he will use Bonn Powers to impose necessary legislation, the RS President stressed that something like that is not acceptable for the RS. “The RS will not accept any decision of the High Representative, even if it refers to the Federation of B&H exclusively,” said Dodik.

Dodik: SNSD will prevent adoption of amendments to B&H Election Law, proposed by SDP B&H, SBB B&H and DF (ATV)

SNSD leader Milorad Dodik stated on Saturday that SNSD will prevent adoption of amendments to the B&H Election Law proposed by SDP B&H, SBB B&H and DF in the B&H House of Peoples (HoP). Previously, the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) adopted the abovementioned amendments, despite the fact that all SNSD representatives and two HDZ B&H representatives in the HoR failed to support them. Dodik stressed that the proposal of SDP B&H, SBB B&H and DF is unacceptable, as well as that introduction of electronic scanners and cameras at polling stations is not a solution for more transparent electoral process. Dodik underlined that all corrections which do not constitute an integral solution are unacceptable for SNSD. “We will seek majority in the B&H HoP to make sure such proposal is rejected, and I believe that we have that majority,” Dodik said.

SDP B&H representative in the B&H HoR Sasa Magazinovic said that he is surprised by Dodik’s statement, noting that they (SDP B&H representatives) communicated with SNSD representatives and agreed certain details with them. Magazinovic underlined that he believes their proposal will get the necessary support in the B&H HoP, not revealing whose votes he is counting on. “As far as the HoP is concerned, I believe that there is majority to adopt this law. We are counting on the votes of those who care about B&H holding fair elections, whose result will be decided by the voters, and not by those who are counting the votes,” Magazinovic underlined.

Head of NDP Caucus in the RSNA Krsto Jandric said that a whole series of actions call the regularity of elections in B&H into question. “We hope that through scanning and surveillance, at least that will be reduced in a way,” Jandric underlined.

RSNA Deputy Speaker Nenad Stevandic stressed that he is for every kind of control over the electoral process

RS Assembly team says 9 January is not discriminatory for Croats and Bosniaks in RS (RTRS)

The team in charge of preparing a response to a new motion of Bosniak and Croat delegates in the Council of Peoples (CoP) for declaring Republika Srpska (RS) Day unconstitutional held its first session in Banja Luka on Friday. Specifically, the team will define the response to the motion that 10 delegates in the RS CoP submitted to B&H Constitutional Court (CC) in which they asked for assessment of constitutionality of the Law on the RS Day. At the end of this session, it was concluded that the Law on the RS Day is not unconstitutional. However, the team intends to define the response and take an official stance on 13 March. Professor at the University of Banja Luka Mile Dmicic, who presided over the team’s first session, stated that the response should be submitted to B&H CC by March 17. Dmicic concluded that the RS Day is a secular holiday.

EC prepares interim report on B&H’s progress to EU (Nezavisne)

Spokeswoman for the EU Delegation to B&H Jamila Milovic-Halilovic, confirmed that the EC prepares an interim report on B&H’s progress to the EU. She explained that next month the EC will issue a short and interim report, but she could not state details of the report. She said: “The report will include political and economic criteria, public administration reform, fundamental rights and rule of law. Meanwhile, the Commission works on drafting of an opinion on B&H’s application for the EU membership”. The report will be published within a package of reports for the countries which are included in the enlargement as it was announced in November 2016, when it was said that there will be no reports in 2017 and that the next one will be published in March 2018. Milovic-Halilovic also stated that after assessment of the answers to the Questionnaire it will be known how much time the Commission needs to present its opinion on B&H. Daily speculates that B&H might be commended in the interim report for filling in of the Questionnaire, but it will be criticized due to the issue of changes to B&H Election Law. B&H will also be criticized due to slow progress in the fight against corruption, but it will be commended for meeting measures from Reform Agenda and adoption of changes and amendments to Law on Excise Duties.

B&H Court confirms indictment against 12 persons suspected of crimes against Serbs (BNTV)

The B&H Court confirmed on Friday an indictment against 12 persons suspected of crimes committed against Serb civilians in Konjic, Bradina and the surrounding area, during 1992 and 1993. The Court of B&H confirmed the indictment against: Esad Ramic, Sefik Niksic, Adnan Alikadic, Mitke Pirkic, Redzo Balic, Hamed Lukomirak, Safaudin Cosic, Muhamed Cakic, Ismet Hebibovic, Almir Padalovic, Enes Jahic and Agan Ramic. According to BNTV, the Court of B&H stated that the suspected persons are former members of the RB&H Army, the Territorial Defense, the Croat Defense Council, police and Muslim para-military formations.

EU extends decision, which allows imposing sanctions against B&H politicians (Fena)

Fena learns that working bodies of the European Union have proposed extension of the decision, which allows the EU the possibility to impose sanctions against B&H politicians who are violating Dayton Peace Agreement. Namely, the decision which was first adopted on March 21st of 2011th, will expire on March 21st 2018. After discussing this issue, relevant EU bodies, upon the initiative of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, proposed extension of this decision by March 31st, 2019. Article reminded that until now the EU has not reached a single decision on imposing sanctions against individuals.

New meeting on elections in Mostar to be held this week (Oslobodjenje)

A new meeting hosted by HDZ B&H on the topic of Mostar elections is expected to be held in Mostar on Tuesday or Wednesday. President of SDA City Board in Mostar Salem Maric told the daily that SDA is going to present its previous proposal once again, underlining he is optimistic everyone is willing to compromise this time. He also noted that SDA officials in Mostar were encouraged at the meeting with SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic last week, who expressed his support for their efforts. President of SDP Mostar Edin Zagorcic stated that SDP and DF are going to present their joint proposal, underlining they are willing to compromise. However, he said they will not give up on the basic principle, which are minimum and maximum quotas, single – multiethnic city and two-third majority decision making process. HDZ B&H Mostar President Damir Dzebo said that HDZ B&H is also willing to compromise, but within limits. He also said that the meeting should focus on new election models and what is possible under the Constitution, adding that HDZ B&H will also go with its previous proposal that might be somewhat amended. SBB B&H Mostar President Anel Kljako said that SBB B&H will present a proposal that has not yet been in the parliamentary procedure. He said that the party is also willing to compromise, adding that the key problem in the city is inability of SDA and HDZ B&H to find common ground.

Serb paramilitaries indicted for 1990s war crimes against Croats (Hina)

The Zagreb County Prosecutor’s Office has indicted eight commanders and 14 members of Serb paramilitary units for war crimes against 20 Croatian civilians and two POWs committed in September 1991. The prosecutor contends that the eight commanders ordered Serb paramilitaries to mistreat, beat and kill Croatian civilians, to take hostage, torture and kill POWs, to plunder civilians and demolish, as well as set fire to 59 houses and business facilities owned by Croats, as well as a church. Some of the commanders are also accused of participating in the torture and killing, the Prosecutor’s Office says on its website. The war crimes were committed in Cojlug, Balinci and Cetekovac, villages in the Slavonia region.

President and Prime Minister argue in public (Hina)

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said on Friday it was necessary to make decisions and implement reforms in Croatia, that it was her duty to warn about negative trends and that it was no problem if someone did not take her seriously, referring to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, but that it was a problem if her warnings and those from domestic and international institutions were not taken seriously. “It’s my duty to warn about social and economic trends. It’s not a problem if someone does not take me seriously. The problem is if they do not take seriously all the warnings, including the European Commission report and other domestic institutions and individuals, which point to the trends I talked about and have been warning about. Because it’s only then that we will be in real trouble. It’s necessary to come to grips with the problems, it’s necessary to make decisions and implement reforms,” the president told reporters. She was asked to comment on Plenkovic’s response to her criticism in the wake of a recent Commission report on Croatia’s implementation of last year’s recommendations. Asked about President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic‘s criticism, Plenkovic said that he was not bothered by her criticism and was confident that it was part of Grabar-Kitarovic’s preparations for a campaign for another term in office. “The President has positions on certain social and political issues, she expresses them the way she does. I am sure that that way she is preparing for her presidential campaign,” said the PM. The government is addressing all important topics on a daily basis. “We do not need any special magnifying glass or interpreter to understand where the problems are. We do it every day. There are a lot of problems, we did not plan many of them, we have inherited many of them, but we are coping with them. And we will continue doing so and deal with everything we can deal with in the best interest of citizens,” said Plenkovic.

DF accepts civic opposition’s proposal: Bojanic common presidential candidate (CDM)

The DF presidency accepted Mladen Bojanic to be the presidential candidate of the majority of the opposition – URA Civic Movement, the Democrats and the Socialist People’s Party (SNP).

“I’d like to publicly thank everyone for their support and I promise an election campaign appropriate to the economic conditions Montenegro is currently in. The campaign with faith in success, carrying clear and unequivocal messages, deprived of empty political rhetoric, based on solid arguments and moderate words, guarantees victory, regardless of all the known obstacles I expect,” Bojanic said. According to him, the citizens of Montenegro will be able to get acquainted with the relevant details they need to make the right decision during the campaign.

DPS is expected to announce its candidate soon.

Deputy PM: Languages law will be adopted this week (Telma TV)

The languages law will be adopted this week, says Bujar Osmani. The Macedonian Deputy PM for European affairs told Telma TV he rules out any possibility to have the text changed, because it has been already harmonized with the two largest parties in the Macedonian political bloc.

“The law on languages will be in Parliament and is expected to be adopted by the MPs for Macedonia’s own good,” he notes. According to Osmani, the incumbent government from the beginning has been determined to lift the three largest obstacles on the EU integration path – poor relations with Bulgaria, the name dispute and the use of Albanian language. “I’m confident that if we show the same commitment to enacting the law – and the law will be adopted in coming days – inter-ethnic relations will also be our biggest support, our strongest driving force for the country to join Euro-Atlantic structures and we would be left with solving the final issue, the name dispute,” he stressed. The Deputy PM says he believes that the law’s adoption will not affect talks with the opposition over reform-oriented law. It would be childish of VMRO-DPMNE not to vote for reforms and to be angry, he says. The law on languages was previously on the agenda in Parliament, but MPs didn’t hold a session after SDSM called for giving the dialogue a chance. Sources from the political parties said there won’t be any leaders’ meeting, but there certainly will be talks. Speaker Talat Xhaferi gave the parties a week to reach an agreement, after which a session will be scheduled.

Russian lobbying for DP, Rama: Basha is smart at playing dumb (ADN)

Prime Minister Edi Rama continues the line of accusations against Democratic Party (DP) in relation to the alleged Russian lobbying for this party in USA through suspicious funds.

In a public reaction on Sunday over the Democrat leader, Lulzim Basha that the sum of USD 500.000 had been given to DP without his knowledge the Premier said that Basha is smart at playing dumb. “He has absolutely no idea about the origin of this huge sum. Basha is very smart at playing dumb,” said Rama, while asking might be who these Russian benefactors that pay similar sums without asking anyone. Rama requires from the General Prosecution to interrogate Basha over the issue and for not declaring this sum to the Central Elections Commission.

“It is time for Basha to be confessed to the prosecution because now we are discussing for the interest of Albania and its integration in EU,” declared Rama on Sunday. This is a clear message for the provisional chief prosecution, Arta Marku. So far, the General Secretary of DP, Arben Ristani was subpoenaed in the prosecution to testify in this issue.

Dozens arrested for massive immigration documents forgery (ADN)

State Police gave a harsh blow to the documents forgery and illicit migration by destroying a criminal network which operated in different cities. Some 16 people were arrested simultaneously on Sunday in a Fier, Tirana, Korca, Vlora and Berat during a raid coded “The last payment”, while two more components of this criminal group were declared wanted. The arrested individuals used to prepare forged immigration documents of various European countries in exchange for payments from EUR 600 up to Pound 12.000.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

How Aleksandar Vucic Became Europe’s Favorite Autocrat (Foreign Policy, by Aleks Eror,  9 March 2018)

The EU is undermining its credibility by choosing stability over democracy in Serbia

A recent report from the British House of Lords laments that the European Union has chosen “stability over democratic values” in the Western Balkans and expresses “serious concern that gains made towards good governance and the rule of law are in danger of being lost as countries in the region turn to authoritarian leadership.” As ironic as it may be for an unelected institution like the House of Lords to fret over democratic values, the authors of the report have a point: most post-Yugoslav governments have become “stabilitocracies” rather than democracies — and nowhere is this dynamic more evident than in Serbia. Since returning to government in 2012 following a 12-year spell in opposition, Aleksandar Vucic has methodically climbed Serbia’s political ladder, rising from defense minister to prime minister before finally ascending to the presidency last spring. President Vucic is a reformed ultranationalist who served as Slobodan Milosevic’s minister of information in the final days of the Yugoslav wars, a role that involved fining journalists who criticized the regime and banning unfriendly TV networks. In recent years, he has presided over a period of alarming democratic backsliding. His ruling center-right Serbian Progressive Party enjoys a complete stranglehold on Serbia’s government, judiciary, and security services, and he has neutered the local media to such an extent that only a handful of outlets have dared to publicize the substantial allegations of corruption, cronyism, and voter intimidation that have plagued his time in office.

Over the last six years, Vucic has established what could best be described as a soft autocracy: On the surface, Serbia is still a democratic society with nominally free elections and a political opposition, where dissenting voices are able to criticize the ruling party without fear of mysteriously disappearing in the night. But Vucic’s control over Serbia’s centers of power is so complete and the democratic process is so skewed in his favor that dissent poses no threat to his rule. Vucic’s control over Serbia’s centers of power is so complete and the democratic process is so skewed in his favor that dissent poses no threat to his rule. His political opponents are free to run against him, but they have few means to make their voices heard. The country’s institutions are so totally controlled by Vucic’s allies that there is nothing to stop him from subverting democratic norms. This is most evident in the media. Vucic has managed to strangle the press by taking control of its main income stream: advertising. Most of the country’s advertising agencies are owned by a handful of media tycoons loyal to Vucic, who, rather than basing publicity budgets on market factors, buy advertising space from TV stations and newspapers that give the president favorable coverage and withhold funds from those that criticize him. Media outlets have another incentive to toe a pro-government line: RTV Pink, the country’s biggest private broadcaster, received at least 7 million euros in government loans between 2014 and 2016. According to Dubravka Valic Nedeljković, a professor of media studies at the University of Novi Sad, when Vucic ran for president in 2017, Pink returned the favor by devoting 267 times more coverage to his campaign than to all of his opponents combined. Although few newspapers or TV stations function as outright government mouthpieces, most avoid asking any difficult questions. Those who try to hold leaders accountable often find their bank accounts blocked by the tax authorities while they’re placed under investigation for alleged financial irregularities. Danas, a prominent independent newspaper, has lost so many advertisers that its daily edition now fits on 24 pages instead of the usual 32, despite offering the cheapest advertising space on the market. Individual journalists who have been too stinging in their criticisms of the president have been taken in for questioning by the BIA, Serbia’s national intelligence agency, on charges as outlandish as blackmail and sex trafficking.

In an interview with Radio Free Europe in October 2017, the president of the European Federation of Journalists, Mogens Blicher Bjerregard, singled out Serbia as the nation with the worst violations of media freedom in the Balkans. Yet EU officials such as Johannes Hahn, the European commissioner for European neighborhood policy and enlargement, have been more than happy to look the other way as Vucic tramples on the “European values” that they purportedly hold so dear. Austria’s new chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, once gushingly described him as “an anchor of stability,” while German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently told Vucic that “we are impressed by how successful Serbia is on its way to reform.” Their silence regarding his antidemocratic behavior is deafening. As long as Serbia remains outside the European Union, Brussels is able to dissociate itself from Vucic’s antics. Unlike Viktor Orban’s illiberal democracy in Hungary, Serbia’s soft autocracy isn’t a stain on the European brand. Vucic may be a poor representative for the European project, but he is a reliable enabler who allows Brussels to move closer to its geostrategic goals in the Balkans. Indeed, Vucic offers stability in a volatile region and has successfully overseen a series of International Monetary Fund austerity measures to reduce Serbia’s debt and budget deficit by cutting public sector wages and pensions, which are part of a much wider restructuring of the Serbian economy aimed at meeting EU enlargement criteria. For all his democratic failings, Vucic is a relative moderate by Serbian political standards, and his domination of national politics ensures that unrepentant ethnic chauvinists like Vojislav Seselj, Milosevic’s former deputy prime minister who spent 11 years on trial at The Hague fighting charges of crimes against humanity, remain marginalized. He’s been hitting all the right notes on Kosovo and recently declared that “we must live and work together successfully.” Normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which would set the ground for an eventual recognition of its independence, is arguably the EU’s top priority in the Balkans.

EU officials are also wary of exerting too much pressure on Vucic lest he look east instead. The Serbian president maintains close ties to the Kremlin, and some of his local critics have accused him of leveraging that relationship against Brussels. Vucic is adamant that, unlike neighboring Montenegro, Serbia will never join NATO, and he refused to follow the lead of Western powers in imposing sanctions on Russia. This is because pro-Russian sentiment runs high in Serbia: The two countries are connected by their shared Orthodox Christian faith and Slavic heritage. “Serbia won’t be changing its policy … and will not impose sanctions on Russia,” Vucic said after a recent meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. In June 2017, just a day after Montenegro’s accession to NATO, Serbian troops took part in a joint military exercise with Russia and Belarus near the Polish border, and the Serbian military later that year received a donation of six fighter jets from Moscow, which also promised 30 tanks and 30 armored vehicles.

Serbia’s efforts to play both sides haven’t gone down well in Washington. Texas Democratic Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson wrote a letter to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence urging him not to meet with Vucic when he visited the United States in mid-2017, and Hoyt Brian Yee, who recently resigned as U.S. deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, told Serbian officials late last year that a country “cannot sit on two chairs at the same time, especially if they are that far apart.” Yee also expressed fears that a Russian-run humanitarian center near the southern Serbian city of Nis might double as an espionage base, a charge that the Russians have dismissed as absurd.

Vucic’s overtures toward Moscow are mostly rhetorical — designed to throw a bit of a red meat to the Russophiles in his party and the broader electorate. For all of his grandstanding, Serbia’s army still took part in 13 drills with NATO or its member states in 2017, seven of which were with the United States, and some experts argue that the country is a NATO member in all but name. Ties with NATO is a subject that the Serbian government is desperate to avoid: Resentment toward the military alliance is still widespread in Serbia, which was subjected to a three-month-long bombing campaign by NATO forces in 1999.