LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: Somebody in Pristina wants Serbia’s humiliation (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday expressed the suspicion that Pristina had set on its own the latest conditions for a continuation of the Brussels dialogue, which he said was not helping to solve problems, but escalating them further. Vucic announced he would speak with EU High Representatve Federica Mogherini later in the day, with the Serbian government to also hold a session to discuss the issue. Someone in Pristina does not want to hear, let alone understand, our argumentation that Serbia is committed to dialogue and to reaching a compromise, Vucic said. The messages from Pristina are absolutely unbelievable and indicate that someone over there does not want dialogue, he said. “Someone in Pristina wants a Serbia’s humiliation,” Vucic said, noting that Pristina had made various absurd claims in the past as well.

Dacic: We won’t even discuss this (RTS/Beta)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said that Belgrade will never discuss the latest demands voiced by Pristina’s spokeswoman Edita Tahiri. “It’s a list and Tahiri’s wishing-well, and she can put them on the notice board of the Kosovo Assembly,” Dacic said in the Serbian parliament.

He said Serbia would never discuss demands that entail recognizing Kosovo’s independence. Dacic told RTS that the new list of conditions which Pristina sent to Brussels as conditions to continue the dialogue are ridiculous and added that no serious person can imagine Pristina being able to set conditions to anyone. “Who can they set conditions to? The dialogue will continue but not under Pristina’s conditions. Serbia will be constructive as it has been so far and Pristina cannot set the topics,” Dacic said. He said that this is a question of arrogance for domestic use.

Drecun: Brussels should tells us openly what it wants (RTS)

The Chairman of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun told the morning news of Radio and Television of Serbia that if Brussels doesn’t support Serbia on the EU path, then it represents a clear sign that the EU doesn’t wish progress of the Balkans. This is a synchronized action by Pristina and Brussels to condition Serbia, through Chapter 35, to recognize Kosovo, says Drecun. “Pristina has been behaving this way since the visit of US Vice President Jospeh Biden who told them that if they do not implement the earlier agreements they would lose Washington’s support. How is it possible for Pristina to question the US authority,” wonders Drecun, adding that there will be maneuvering space for Serbia if Brussels reacts. Belgrade cannot accept for the dialogue with Pristina to develop outside the status neutral framework, notes Drecun, adding that Serbia had clearly said that the limit has been crossed.

Kozarev: Tahiri has no interlocutor for topics she is proposing (RTS)

If Pristina wishes to discuss in the next phase of the dialogue topics noted in the document that its main negotiator Edita Tahiri had submitted to the parliamentarians there, then she will have no one to talk to, since there is no relevant politician in Belgrade who would even take these topics into consideration. Edita Tahiri has publicly conveyed with this that her condition for regulating mutual relations between Belgrade and Pristina is recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo by Serbia, but this will not happen as long as we have in Belgrade a government that is taking care of Serbian state and national interests. Thus, Edita Tahiri will never find here an interlocutor for topics she is proposing, and, since she knows this very well, her document cannot be understood in any other way than her unilateral announcement on the cessation of the dialogue. It remains for us to hear whether the mentioned separatist leaflet of Edita Tahiri reflects the stand of top officials of the provisional institutions of self-administration in Pristina, or is just an expression of frustration over an endangered ministerial post. We expect the EU, as the mediator in the status neutral dialogue, now that we have before us Edita Tahiri’s aspirations in the form of an official document, to present a clear stand on whether the European administration wishes the next phase of the dialogue to take place in this kind of framework. Belgrade, as it has been clearly conveyed so many times before, is ready to discuss, in the continuation of the dialogue in a status neutral manner, all topics that could contribute to a better life of residents of Kosovo and Metohija, especially topics of interest for the position of the Serbs in our southern province. We hope that both the provisional institutions in Pristina and the EU will realize how Edita Tahiri’s crankiness is dangerous and detrimental for the normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations and both for the Serbs and Albanians.

Miscevic: No one has negotiated in this manner (Beta)

“No one has met with this manner of negotiation or such conditions in the negotiating process. What is the criterion according to which they decide whether progress has been made? Unlike other states, whose key chapters were 23 and 24, for us Chapter 35 has been added, which applies to implementing deals with Pristina, and it is key to all the chapters we broach,” the Head of the Serbian EU negotiating team Tanja Miscevic said ahead of a panel discussion entitled Europe in Crisis – What Next, in the Serbian parliament. According to her, advancement in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue was made thanks to the Belgrade side, while Pristina sees no benefit to continuing talks. Miscevic declined to comment on a statement by Dacic, who said: “So what if chapters aren’t opened?”

Slovak Ambassador to Serbian Dagmar Repcekova has said her country, as chair of the EU, wanted to see three chapters opened with Serbia – 5, 25 and 26, but that unfortunately, moving forward in Serbia’s EU integration depended on the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. The door to opening chapters is always ajar. The important thing isn’t to start the process, it’s closing the chapters. And whether one or ten chapters will be opened is up to you, Repcekova said.

Kocijancic: Dialogue focused on implementation (Tanjug)

Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, said in Brussels Thursday she was not familiar with a document in which Pristina had set new conditions for Belgrade, noting the EU was a facilitator in a dialogue that was currently focused on implementing agreements. In a statement to Tanjug, she confirmed Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Mogherini would speak by phone later in the day. “The EC’s position is very clear: the EU is a facilitator in the dialogue on normalization of relations between the two sides – that is dialogue and nothing else but dialogue,” she said.

Vucic to Patrushev: Serbia unequivocally militarily neutral (Tanjug/B92)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic met on Thursday in Belgrade with Secretary of Security Council of Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev. The two officials concluded that the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation continue to foster and promote friendly relations in various spheres of social life, the Serbian government announced. Vucic and Patrushev exchanged views on key global, but also on issues relating to the Western Balkans. Vucic reiterated Serbia’s unequivocal principle of military neutrality. Patrushev said that Russia is ready for close cooperation with Serbia and to assist in the modernization of its defense resources, as well as to provide political support for the preservation of the integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia. Also, they agreed that the security services of the Russian Federation and Serbia have good cooperation.

Orlovic: According to Constitution, not possible to ratify agreement with own province (Politika)

Professor of Constitutional Law at the Novi Sad Law Faculty Slobodan Orlovic thinks that the Agreement on the establishment of the Western Balkans Fund, from the perspective of the Serbian Constitution, and thus the future law, “contains serious non-constitutionalities”. “Agreement parties in this international agreement are treated equally and are considered countries (states). This derives from the annex that states ‘joint representation of agreement parties in third countries’ – which means that the agreement parties are ‘countries’. Just as an article states ‘projects from countries that are agreement parties…’ This also shows by analogy that agreement parties are ‘countries’. Even without analysing other decrees, according to the Serbian Constitution, it is not possible to conclude nor to ratify an international agreement with own province because it is part of the state of Serbia,” says Orlovic. He points out that part of the draft law on the establishment of the Western Balkans Fund that refers to status neutrality and United Nations Resolution 1244 is “only a unilateral declaration of one agreement party – Serbia and in no way binds other parties, including Kosovo with an asterisk”. Commenting the possibility for the law on the establishment of the Fund not to be formalized, the law professor reminds that the procedure for assessing constitutionality could be launched by one-third of MPs (84). “This procedure can be launched before the Serbian Constitutional Court after the law on ratification is adopted, but before the president of the republic declares it. Likewise, the procedure can be launched even after the law on ratification is declared if the proposal is signed by at least 25 MPs, and even the Serbian Constitutional Court or some other state institution could also launch the procedure. In any case, the Serbian Constitutional Court would render the final judgment on the validity of this kind of international agreement,” concludes Orlovic.

REGIONAL PRESS

Durakovic announces he will file appeal with B&H CC (TV1)

Independent candidate for Head of Srebrenica Municipality Camil Durakovic announced that he will file an appeal with B&H Constitutional Court (CC) after the B&H Court rejected his appeal to the results of elections in Srebrenica. Durakovic claims that he will continue his legal battle “due to moral reasons”, which includes submitting B&H CC with an appeal and requesting temporary measure of banning publication of final results for Head of Srebrenica Municipality. Durakovic said that he is afraid that neither CEC nor the Court of B&H have realized “seriousness of Srebrenica” and remarked that B&H society will certainly see implications of this situation.

Movement of Mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves’ refuse to accept Dodik’s offer (TV1)

The Association ‘Movement of Mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves’ rejected the offer of RS President Milorad Dodik, who offered them financial assistance and an office in Srebrenica Municipality building. This association has taken the stance that they refuse to accept assistance from anyone who denies genocide, while they particularly find Dodik’s offer “ironic” as it comes only several days after “war criminals were awarded” ‘charters of merits’ at the RS National Assembly (RSNA)’s solemn session. Dodik had said that newly-elected Head of Srebrenica Municipality Mladen Grujicic will work to the benefit of all Srebrenica citizens, and that he will fully respect the associations representing victims in Srebrenica. President of the Association ‘Movement of Mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves’ Munira Subasic told TV1 that mothers of Srebrenica have not forgotten all Dodik’s insults from the past and she stressed that assistance from any genocide denier is unwelcome. “Dodik has insulted us as much as he could and as much as he wanted. He then said he could offer us assistance. We do not need his assistance,” Subasic remarked. Vice President of the Association ‘Movement of Mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves’ Kada Hotic stated for TV1 that Dodik should not have the right to decide on anything in Srebrenica. Hotic underlined that this association already has its premises in Potocari. Hotic said: “We, mothers, will never agree to ask him Dodik to provide us with any kind of assistance. We will also not accept any kind of assistance from him.”

B&H CEC rejects Arnautovic’s proposal re irregularity of Abdic’s candidacy (Dnevni avaz)

The B&H CEC convened on Wednesday and it failed to accept the proposal of B&H CEC member Suad Arnautovic to report a criminal act in case of verification of candidacy of convicted war criminal Fikret Abdic for post of Head of Velika Kladusa Municipality. Reportedly, these allegations are supported with documents in the Central Election Commission, which prove that Abdic’s name was on the Central Voters’ List while he was serving prison sentence in Croatia, which is strictly prohibited by law. Arnautovic explained that he asked from the CEC to act in line with Paragraph 1, Article 6.8 of the B&H Law on Elections, but that there was no consent on this at the session.

Trilateral meeting B&H, Serbia, Turkey held in Istanbul (BHT1)

A trilateral meeting of high-ranking officials of B&H, Serbia and Turkey took place in Istanbul on Wednesday. B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Mirko Sarovic, Serbian Minister of Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic and Turkish Minister of Trade Nihat Zeybekci agreed that joint economic growth is the most important for cooperation of these three countries. As a result of the meeting, a joint representative office of B&H and Serbia has been opened in Istanbul, as a body that will be in charge of developing trade and economic relations with Turkey. Turkey will bear costs of work of the office. Turkish officials also stated that this country is ready to finance construction of road infrastructure between B&H and Serbia. According to the officials, the representative office is expected to give its contribution to increase of economic trade exchange between B&H, Serbia and Turkey. Besides, the officials and businessmen from the three countries attended a business forum and signed a Memorandum on Trade Exchange. Speaking about the Memorandum, Sarovic said that it is expected to give significant contribution to trade exchange between B&H, Serbia and Turkey. The three Ministers also agreed that cooperation in the area of tourism, investments should be improved, while barriers for further economic development should be removed.

Pejanovic-Djurisic: Ministry had no information on the attack (Mina)

The Montenegrin Defense Ministry had no information on the planned attack on election day in Montenegro, said Minister Milica Pejanovic-Djurisic. Asked whether she expected to be in the new government, Pejanovic-Djurisic said she had no expectations. “In this regard, the Montenegrin Armed Forces, i.e. the Defense Ministry as you probably ask me that, had no information on the subject,” Pejanovic-Djurisic said. Pejanovic-Djurisic is taking part in the meeting of defense ministers of NATO. There she told reporters that citizens were probably interested in the way the current political situation in Montenegro has been assessed. She added that the fact was Montenegro had specific obligations as a country that is on its way to become a full member soon. “In this sense, all of our allies and partners expect us to show that primarily our institutions, and then all political entities are aware of the need to ensure the stability of operation and that in this way, in fact, show that the reforms were implemented well (which is why we got to this level of integration in the alliance)”, she added. Asked whether she expected to be a member of the next government, Pejanovic-Djurisic said that she had no expectations. “You know that I am a ‘project based’ minister who has been in the government with the aim to provide the conditions for the state to become a member of NATO as soon as possible. I think in that sense the project has been done well”, she said. Asked to comment on the decision of the DPS executive committee to appoint Dusko Markovic as the party’s candidate for prime minister, she said she assumed that was a DPS’s decision. “I’m here today, I am not at meetings of DPS and it would not be nice if I commented on that issue from Brussels,” Pejanovic-Djurisic added.

Djukanovic decided to withdraw from the PM position in order to become president of Montenegro? (CDM)

Has Milo Djukanovic decided to leave the PM position to Dusko Markovic in order to ran for president of Montenegro in 2018 – it is the question that has been raised not only in our country but also in the region. It is possible that Djukanovic is withdrawing from politics precisely with that intention, said Croatian professor Stjepan Malovic, who is regarded as a great connoisseur of local and regional circumstances. He says that he sees Djukanovic as the future head of the state. “Why not? It has already been seen. There will be elections and he can run in the elections. It will be a matter of assessment and political moment and balance of power. DPS is still the strongest party and it will not drop that capital with the number of votes. I think it will take advantage of that in the presidential election,” Malovic told CdM. And what is that “political moment” and “balance of power” which could possibly motivate him to run for president of Montenegro once again? He was the head of the state from 1998 to 2002. “If he sees that he cannot be sufficiently influential and present in daily political life only with his party, he will return to an active political position,” said Malovic. Regardless of the potential candidacy for president, Djukanovic remains the head of DPS which means that he has not retired from politics. Malovic said that Djukanovic would remain very-very present in Montenegrin politics. “I think he is very well aware that you do not need to be constantly in power and that sometimes it is good to retire from office, but I doubt that he will let the political party he has led for many years to be out of his hands. That will be his way of staying in politics,” Malovic concluded.

Presidential elections will be held in 2018. Filip Vujanovic has been president since 2003 and can no longer run for the position because he is prohibited by the Constitution.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Kosovo’s love affair with the Clintons (BBC News, by Guy Delauney, 27 October 2016)

A smattering of Albanian comes in handy when deciphering certain Pristina street signs. Otherwise it may not immediately be apparent that “Bulevardi Xhorxh Bush” refers to the former US president who insisted that Kosovo should become independent.

But only consonant pedants would demand a translation of the name of the busy thoroughfare which runs perpendicular to George Bush Boulevard. “Bulevardi Bill Klinton” is a tribute to the man Kosovan Albanians hold in the highest possible esteem. Pristina has not just named a street in his honour. It also erected a larger-than-life-size statue of a beaming Bill Clinton, his arm outstretched in welcome. The man himself unveiled this monument when he visited Pristina to a rapturous reception in 2009. This adoration also extends to Mr Clinton’s family. Just a few yards from the statue, a women’s clothes shop called Hillary adds a fashion element to the affair.

“We rate the Clinton family so highly,” says Elda Morina, a member of the family which owns both Hillary and a second outlet, Hillary 2. “They made the whole world know our problems. For the first time everyone knew who are Kosovans. Bill Clinton is the person who revealed our suffering – and from that point we all had big sympathy for the Clinton family.” Ethnic Albanians give Mr Clinton credit for the Nato bombing campaign which brought an end to the Kosovo conflict in 1999. This allowed those who had fled to return to their homes, although the Morina family were among those who stayed in Pristina throughout. “I suffered a lot of post-traumatic stress,” says Elda. “I was a teenager; it was a vulnerable time of my life.” Opening the boutique was part of the process of getting back to normal – with Elda’s father suggesting it should be named in honour of Hillary Clinton. The shop stocks a range of outfits similar in style to those favoured by the former secretary of state. “It’s a classic style,” says Elda, picking a trouser-suit from a rack of monochrome outfits. “Hillary Clinton is a woman with a big vision – it’s not her clothes which define her.” The Hillary range has attracted a loyal clientele – “women in business and politics,” says Elda – customers perhaps aiming to pick up on a little of the Clinton charisma. Gratitude towards the Clinton family and respect for the United States is deep-rooted. “This admiration has been there for many decades,” says Kosovo’s Deputy Foreign Minister Petrit Selimi. “The Clintons embodied that link simply because at the moment of the grave injustices when hundreds of thousands of people were fleeing the Milosevic regime and ethnic cleansing was being conducted by the state apparatus, Bill Clinton was like a saint. It was a miracle that the world intervened for a speck of land like Kosovo that had no oil, no diamonds, no resources.”

Not just altruism?

But while Kosovo may feel it has a special relationship with the United States – and the Clinton family in particular – others suggest that this is, in fact, a very one-sided romance. “The 1999 bombing was not, as the Kosovans appear to think, just an intervention intended to stop the violent repression of the Kosovan Albanians,” says Andrea Capussela, a former international official in Pristina and the author of a recent book, State-Building in Kosovo. “Western governments and especially Washington saw Kosovo as an occasion to establish the principle that where they could claim there was a genuine humanitarian crisis was occurring, they could take military action irrespective of Security Council authorisation.” The Clintons’ subsequent involvement with Kosovo has been limited to brief visits. But some of the US officials most closely associated with the 1999 bombing have sought to deepen their relationship – on a business basis. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and special envoy James Pardew were both involved with bids for the state-owned telecoms company. The former’s investment fund, Albright Capital Management, later withdrew to “pursue other opportunities”. Mr Pardew had been lobbying on behalf of a consortium led by the investment firms Twelve Hornbeams and Avicenna Capital; he stopped after his involvement became public. Nato’s former supreme allied commander, Wesley Clark, now chairs the Canadian energy company, Envidity. In August, Kosovo’s government proposed a deal to allow Envidity coal exploration rights across a third of the country. Critics of this arrangement said it would allow Envidity near-exclusive rights to exploit Kosovo’s considerable coal reserves. The deal has yet to receive parliamentary approval, after opposition MPs asked for more information about the scheme.

‘Unhealthy relationship’

“It is a relationship that can be abused,” says Andrea Capussela. “Because corruption is so endemic in Kosovo, having a strong connection based on what the Clinton administration did for Kosovo could lay the basis for an unhealthy business relationship.” And the enduring influence of the United States in Kosovo may not always be to the latter’s advantage. The former US ambassador to Pristina, Christopher Dell, lobbied for the contract to build a “Patriotic Highway” to Albania to go to a consortium led by the American firm Bechtel. Mr Capussela calls the project “colossal and unnecessary”, costing 25% of Kosovo’s GDP. The year after leaving his diplomatic post in Kosovo, Mr Dell started a new job – with Bechtel. “The US has enormous influence in Kosovo, but they lack the incentive to use it to favour long-term development. The tragedy is that the interests of Europe are in favour of the development of Kosovo, but it remains very difficult for Europe to advance this interest,” says Mr Capussela. Back on Bill Clinton Boulevard, such ideas seem almost like heresy. In the Hillary boutique, pictures of its namesake’s 2012 visit hang proudly above the cash register – and Elda Morina is excited about next month’s presidential vote. “Whoever wins, it’s OK,” she says, “but we have the idea that she is the one. If she wins, it’s better for us. Kosovans admire the Clintons, that’s why.”

Reported Expulsions Overshadow Russian Security Chief’s Serbia Visit (BIRN, by Milivoje Pantovic, 27 October 2016)

Belgrade newspaper says Serbia has thrown out unnamed Russians in connection with events in Montenegro – where the authorities claim they recently foiled a coup.

Serbia has expelled several Russians for their alleged involvement in illegal activities in Montenegro, where authorities claim they prevented a coup, the Serbian daily Danas reported on Thursday. The newspaper cited unnamed sources close to the Serbian government but did not reveal the names of those expelled and BIRN could not verify this information independently.

The Russian embassy in Belgrade told BIRN on Thursday that it could not confirm or deny the reports. The reported expulsions come as Russian Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev is visiting Serbia, advocating closer cooperation between the countries’ respective intelligence agencies. Petrushev arrived in Serbia on Wednesday after Montenegro said it suspected that Moscow might have been behind an alleged coup prepared for election day in the republic on October 16. On Monday, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia had arrested several people for planning illegal activities in Montenegro – but insisted that the Serbian state had nothing to do with these acts, mentioning connections to a third, unnamed country. Patrushev has meanwhile called for Russian and Serbian security agencies to cooperate more closely. Belgrade maintains close political and military relations with Russia and notably refused to join EU sanctions imposed on Moscow over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its perceived role in the separatist armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. Some analysts link Petrushev’s visit to the allegations by the Serbian government that a third country was involved in illegal operations on Montenegro soil. Belgrade-based analyst and correspondent from Moscow Slobodan Samardzija told BIRN: “Russia has decided to play a bit rougher; the EU is in crisis because of its disunity, and the US is in a vacuum, which has led to wheeling and dealing in the Balkans. Everyone is looking to get something for themselves.” On meeting Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic in Belgrade, Patrushev proposed a memorandum of understanding with the Russian Interior Ministry, which should be signed in 2017. The agreement would establish regular communications between the two countries’ security agencies, though not on a legally binding basis.

Turkey calls for closure of Gulen schools in Serbia (ANSAmed, 26 October 2016)

BELGRADE – The Turkish government has sent a formal request to the Serbian government asking it to close all of the schools in the country sponsored by “Hizmet” religious leader Fetulah Gulen, said Mehmet Akarca, senior advisor to the Turkish president. In an interview with Belgrade daily Blic, Akarca said the Serbian government has sent “positive signs” on the request. Kudret Bulbul, president of the Turks Abroad organisation, warned Serbia of “threats coming from institutions under the control of Fetulah Gulen”, whom Turkey claims is responsible for the country’s July 15 attempted coup. “The Fetulah Gulen Organisation works worldwide and has its people in the Balkans,” Bulbul said. “We know for a school in Belgrade, but we suspect there are more in Serbia. Most of these, regarding the Balkans, are in Bosnia-Herzegovina,” he said. The spiritual leader of the “Hizmet” school, Fetulah Gulen has established sites in more than 100 countries worldwide, Russia being one of the few countries that refused permission for the organisation’s institutions to open there. In the Balkans, there are 10 Gulen schools in Macedonia, seven in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and four in Kosovo.

EWB Interview, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark: Whoever is mayor must represent all of the citizens and all of the people in Srebrenica (European Western Balkans, 26 October 2016)

In an interview for European Western Balkans Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina and European Union Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, talked about steps and challenges that await BiH on it’s EU path after Council for General Affairs of EU accepted BiH’s application for membership and political and enomic situation in general.

European Western Balkans: Ambassador Wigemark, the local elections are behind us. You followed the elections, visited a polling station in Sarajevo. Although reactions of observers were generally positive, we have the example of Stolac, where happened the suspension of the electoral process, and there are talks about irregularities in Srebrenica as well. How do you comment on that?

Lars-Gunnar Wigemark: As far as Stolac is concerned, we regret the violence and the incidents there. It’s very important now to, first of all, have any criminal behavior investigated, and there is a police investigation ongoing. We need to allow the police and any other legal or judicial actor to play their role without any interference. People obviously cannot take the law in their own hands. This is not just in terms of the elections. Secondly, it’s very important that Central election commission can also consider this, and hopefully reach a decision. I think they have already decided not to hold any rerun of the elections in Srebrenica and Bijeljina. That’s their decision. We respect that, and we support the CEC. We think they are trying to work according to international standards. We did observe the elections here, but this was not an official election observation, the way we observed, for instance, the last national elections in 2014. It was more to support the whole democratic process. And I did have colleagues, two of them, who were in Stolac. So we do have some firsthand information on what happened. Clearly, the situation was very emotional, and heated. I think that the facts must prevail. I would say let’s try to see this, hopefully, as an isolated incident, and not make it into something more than it is. It’s clearly a serious incident, and needs to be treated as such. But it should not be blown out of proportion. Because, in general, the elections went well, in general it was smooth. There were some irregularities. We also support “Pod lupom”, the network of six NGOs. We have worked with them for several years now. We support them as an independent civil society network, and we do this in other countries as well. I went to see “Pod lupom” headquarters here in Sarajevo on the elections day, when they were receiving reports from all over the country. I think there were a total of 3.000 observers. These are citizens who are interested, including many young people. I think this is very important, very positive, that people involve themselves, and that elections are not just something for party machinery because you have some very strong political parties that are closely linked and use their role when they are in power, in terms of coverage of media issues. Public media are too often used by certain parties and political leaders to promote their own policies. There is a word for that – propaganda. And as far as Srebrenica, it’s important that whoever is mayor, whoever is in the city council, in such a sensitive municipality as Srebrenica, must represent all of the citizens and all of the people in Srebrenica. Srebrenica will always be watched, not just by the people in Srebrenica, but by the people in BiH and by the rest of the world, because of what happened there. I think some other statements from the mayor elect there so far are positive, that he sees his role as representing all of the people of Srebrenica. This includes organization of important events, like 11 July commemoration and so on. But in no way should the mayor or anyone else elected, try to change the narrative of what we know for a fact happened there.

EWB: Parties that support Duraković fear, not only about 11 July commemoration, but about the status of Bosniaks in Srebrenica, if Grujičić wins. What do you think about that?

LGW: Discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and on the basis of nationality, on the basis of gender, for us is unacceptable. I can assure you that, as European Union, we will be following this very closely, we will be following what the new mayor and his associates, the parties that seem to have gained the most votes, what they will do. But once you are elected to office, you have to represent all the constituents, all the people. So if there is any indication that they would start to discriminate against Bosniaks in Srebrenica, or anywhere else in the country for that matter, but in particular in Srebrenica, I think the spotlight will be on Srebrenica. I hope they understand this.

EWB: Case of Stolac produces even more issues. How do you comment the visit of the Croatian delegation to Stolac?

LGW: We have been told by our Croatian colleagues here in Sarajevo that this visit was in order to calm down the situation, in no way was it to increase tensions. I think it’s very important that this issue is left to, if not to the local authorities, but to the institutions of this country to resolve. First of all, elections should be left to the Central election commission. If there are any illegal acts, any physical assaults, as it has been alleged, then there are legal mechanisms to deal with that.

We, as European Union, will not interfere in this local issue. I think it’s very important that elections are held in Stolac as soon as possible. This should not be an excuse to make Stolac another Mostar.

EWB: People’s, national parties again received the most votes. How will this affect the further development of BiH?

LGW: I think now is the time to try to get back. Back to basics, back to business and, first of all, focus on the reforms that have been started over the past year through the Reform Agenda. This is still unfinished business. A number of important decisions were made, a number of important new laws were passed, and others have been amended. That work needs to continue. That is more important than anything else. Secondly, we have the EU track, the Questionnaire that Bosnia and Herzegovina will receive, I think, by the end of November or early December at the latest, and which will involve a lot of work for the administration here at all levels. I hope there will be a joint effort, that the new coordination mechanism can be used whenever it’s needed, to find common positions and answers. This will be a process that will be useful for BiH. It’s not a one time off thing that you just fill in. It’s a process where we as European Union, in this case European Commission first of all, tries to understand better the situation here. Third, and perhaps the most difficult is that despite some of this very strong rhetoric, and despite the reemergence of nationalism or ethno politics before the elections, that reason will prevail, that political leaders – and I speak of all sides – know that they can resolve problems only through dialogue, only by working together… This is a small country, with lots of potential resources, with lots of people willing to work hard, to stay in this country, people that would like to see a positive future. Political leaders have a responsibility towards the people who elected them. They have the responsibility to look after the interest of everyone. So I sincerely hope that some of the contentious issues, not just before elections, but others, can be resolved.

Next year you don’t have any elections, then in 2018 you will again have one. I know a year ago there was quite a long and important discussion about trying to change the cycle. I think there is a lot of sense to try to do that. But even if it’s not possible in the short term, the elections cannot interfere with work. I was surprised how much energy was wasted on these local elections. Much of the debate was not focused really on local issues. I think that now after elections are over politicians should look for opportunities to find solutions instead of exaggerating any disagreement, any problem they may have.

EWB: It is obvious that the international community let the political officials in BiH to agree on further reforms necessary for the country’s development, and its path towards the EU. However, due to the inability to achieve certain political agreements the EU adopted a new approach towards BiH that puts economic reforms on the first place. Political issues, however, will have to come to the agenda sometimes, and in the very conclusions of the EU General Affairs Council was remarked the necessity of implementation of the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights in the case “Sejdić-Finci”. Do you think BiH, that is, its government, is able to confront and overcome contentious political issues, especially to reach an agreement on constitutional reforms? Can we expect more direct involvement of the EU regarding this?

LGW: We are not only focusing on economic and social reforms. When we talk about this it is also clear to us that these reforms have to be undertaken by the institutions, by the political actors in the country. It’s not something we can impose on you. At the same time it is clear that without some of these economic reforms new, good jobs will not be created. Going back, it is sometimes good to remind why something was done. These reforms came out of the so-called ‘Compact for growth and jobs’ which was a direct response to the demonstrations, the riots that took place here in February 2014. That’s only two and a half years ago. I think a lot has happened in that period of time. Again, we are not here to meddle in your politics. We can only say what we, as EU, need BiH to do in order to meet our criteria. We were very clear about this, over the past year and a half. We established three basic conditions or criteria. One was the Reform Agenda, another one was the adaptation of SAA, the third one was the coordination mechanism. Now we are moving into this new phase of trying to define in much more detail what BiH needs to do in order to meet EU standards, to become a candidate for membership. Real change can only take place when it comes from within. I think it is clear to everyone living in this country and everyone coming as an outsider that you need change. What does this mean? I think one has to be realistic here, and I would say it’s a step by step approach. So far, I think this has been quite successful in the sense that you take a step, and then we evaluate it, and say ok, or not so good, you need to do this. And then we say ‘let’s go to the next issue’, rather than trying to do everything all at once. The fact that we emphasize the economics and social reforms so much is really a response to the very high unemployment here, the lack of economic prospects, people leaving the country. It wasn’t really anything having to do with your Constitution or politics in general, although I would say there was a great disillusionment with politics. The political agenda was not really responding to people’s demands. What people still want are better jobs, better conditions in terms of health care, education, local security.

EWB: Earlier representatives of the EU and other international organizations reported about “impressive progress” of BiH. This primarily related to the implementation of the Reform Agenda. However, according to the report of Bosnian NGO Centers for Civic Initiatives from May this year only 34 percent of measures from the Reform Agenda have been implemented. Specifically, 58 out of 172 measures. The fact that is perhaps more worrying is the failure to implement the most important reforms. Thus, measures for reducing contributions, improving the business environment and the stabilization of pension and health funds were never put on the agenda. In these circumstances, and let’s add political issues we discussed earlier, can we actually talk about real progress?

LGW: We have used the term “meaningful” in the Council conclusions. I don’t think we can talk only about European Union here, because the IMF actually has gone further than we have, and in their new programme, said that the Reform Agenda, and the reforms undertaken so far, after only a year, is the most significant set of the reforms in modern history of BiH, in the past 20 years.

The World Bank is very close to reaching an agreement. They are also rather positive in terms of the economic growth that has picked up undeniably over the past year and they project, that provided there is a continued momentum of reforms, around 4 percent growth for the next three to four years. Which is higher than any of the neighboring countries. So your country is growing faster than any other in this region. I want to dispel the idea that it’s just the European Union that thinks so, and that we think so because we want to give a positive evaluation of what is happening here.

In respect to these numbers, I think you cannot measure this in percentages, in terms of number of reforms. It’s not about percentages, it’s about the quality of reforms and the kind of reforms you are taking. The Labor Laws were very difficult, but these decisions were taken. And they were very important in terms of making more and more flexible labor market. But it’s still unfinished business. You still need to reduce the tax on labor. That’s why the excise tax is so important, because you need to shift the tax burden from labor, from the employer having to pay percentages on top of the salary. There was an agreement, there was an understanding when Reform Agenda was discussed between the state and the entities, that there should be an increase on excise taxes on alcohol, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and fuel. In respect to pension funds, I don’t frankly understand when someone says nothing has happened. There is a very comprehensive proposal on the table that has been adopted, I believe, by  FBiH Government. It may still be in the Parliament. But the problem with the FBiH Parliament, in the sense that they haven’t meet for two months, is not something you really can pin on the EU or even FBiH Government. And certainly not on the authorities in Banjaluka or on the Council of Ministers. I see this again as a problem that is linked more to this balance of power between certain political forces, in particular, SDA (Party of Democratic Action), HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) BiH. They need to sort it out. Because it does slow down the reforms. In terms of business climate, I think a number of new laws have been approved, but they now also need to be tested. There is a new law on insolvency for instance, on bankruptcy as well. In general, I would say that potential investors in companies, both inside and outside of this country, have noticed that something positive is going on here. Sometimes I feel like a lot of people in this country don’t want to see any improvement. I understand that an ordinary person does not see any change in his or her life. It’s very important that the next steps of these reforms focus on improving ordinary peoples’ living conditions. Finally, the Reform Agenda is a three year program. And we are now into 15 months or so. So, we have passed little more than one third. So actually, if someone says 34 percent, I would say then you are right on target. At the same time some of the most difficult reforms were taken upfront, in particular the Labor Law. I think the next set of reforms needs to follow up on business climate. But we also need to focus on the questions related to pension reform, on conditions for creating new jobs. And there are too many people employed in public sector, we all know that, and of course, there has to be alternative for them or re-training. In particular,  private sector has to be given space to grow.

EWB: SNSD (Alliance of independent social-democrats) is the absolute winner in Republika Srpska. Many attribute this to the referendum on the day of RS held only seven days before the elections. The BiH public is generally skeptical of the international community, including the EU, when it comes to guarding “the territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH” and is afraid of new divisions and even new conflicts. What is your view on the held referendum, and the role of the international community, in particular the EU, to prevent it, given that the public generally expected the international response?

LGW: We said from the very beginning, the referendum itself was, first of all, not necessary. And, more importantly, it was also illegal in the sense of putting into question the decisions of the Constitutional court. The respect for the Constitutional court decisions in this country is not consistent, to put it mildly. Yes, there are thousands of decisions, but there are at least 80 or 90 decisions that have not been implemented. There is a tendency to put more controversial questions, questions that are more political in nature, and where political solution is needed. We think dialogue must be present in order to resolve issues. Using the Constitutional court for whatever purposes, by anyone, that are more political in nature is not helpful. I think Constitutional court’s work should be reserved, they should be allowed to focus on the issues that are of primary importance. Everyone knows that this is not leading anywhere except further disagreement, further controversy. I don’t think that ordinary people want this, that they even understand this. They want to get on with their lives, they want to have better jobs, security, better health care, better education, be able to travel freely, they want to became member of the European Union one day.

EWB: Please be honest. How long do you predict will it take for BiH to achieve candidate status?

LGW: I cannot predict this. Because we know normally that once you have received the Questionnaire it takes six to 12 months, just to do the initial round of answering. Once you’ve answered, there may be a follow up. And then European Commission will need to analyze these replies, and look at the conditions. And I am sure that they will not just look at the questions and answers, they will also look at developments in the country itself. That is why this set of reforms is so important, and I’m not just talking about economic reforms or doing what IMF or the World Bank said. But there is a sense of positive, constructive changes, and constructive spirit rather than the spirit of blocking tactics. This will create a much more positive atmosphere. Here I’m saying “yes”, when some of your leaders are very optimistic and talk about the end of next year and so on, I would say this is very optimistic. But on the other hand it is also very important to try to maintain this positive momentum and not try to put any sticks in the wheel to slow it down. Because I think we have been impressed by the fact that BiH was able to meet a number of these requirements, and that you have managed to get back on the EU track. We will evaluate very closely what happens in BiH and if you continue to move in the right direction I see no reason why you cannot go on to the next step.

EWB: Ambassador Wigemark, thank you for your time.

Author: Tarik Moćević, EWB Executive Editor for BiH

Croatia MP Becomes Region’s Anti-Establishment Star (BIRN, by Sven Milekic, 27 October 2016)

After a video in which he slated the US, NATO and the EU swept the social media in the region, Croatian anti-establishment MP Ivan Pernar claims ‘people are hungry for the truth’.

With over a 1.5 million views of the video of his speech, newly elected Croatian MP Ivan Pernar has become a star for anti-establishment activists around the Balkan region. Pernar, 31, a first-time MP from the opposition anti-establishment Living Wall – a party born out of a movement formed to stop seizures of homes – told BIRN that his appearance is not the primary cause for the popularity of the video, but “hunger among people for the truth”. The video was made by another young regional anti-establishment star, Boris Malagurski from Serbia, who is widely known for his film “Weight of Chains”, in which he tackled the issues of NATO intervention in Yugoslavia and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. Malagurski made the video of Pernar’s speech in Croatia’s parliament last week – when the new centre-right government was voted in – and promoted it on Facebook both in Serbian and English. In an inflammatory speech in parliament, Pernar questioned the benefits to Croatia of joining the EU, and harshly criticised Croatia’s position in NATO, which he accused of crimes in Libya, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. “It’s not due to my performance but because people are hungry for the truth. They are sick of looking at how killers of children are shown as humanitarians. Those who wage wars are shown as peacemakers; those who rob the whole world are shown as saviours,” he told BIRN. Everyone can see what “particular country he has in mind, which is waging illegal wars”, he added, referring to the US. “We all remember the promises that civilians would be saved in Libya and we all now know that numerous civilians were killed in the NATO intervention in that country,” Pernar emphasised, also mentioning the suffering in Iraq. During the past two weeks, his attacks on Croatia’s new centre-right government have won much attention, establishing Living Wall as perhaps the main opposition force in the country, despite having only four of the 151 seats in parliament. “Living Wall is the only existing opposition [in parliament]; there is no other opposition. All the others are for this neo-liberal system,” Pernar said. Asked if he will get tired and cut his participation in parliament – as some MPs suggest he will – Pernar said those who make this claim “don’t know him very well”. Pernar is a co-president of the Living Wall, second to the party leader Ivan Vilibor Sincic. Along with some other smaller parties, Living Wall’s coalition won eight seats in total with their anti-establishment rhetoric, and by raising the issues of indebtedness among ordinary citizens. After one of its co-presidents, Hrvoje Runtic, accused the party of corruption and joined the junior government party, the Bridge of the Independent Lists, MOST, some experts predicted this would damage the party’s popularity. But Pernar’s recent speeches and activity in parliament suggest the party’s profile is growing. Although he first made his presence felt in student protests back in 2009, he became better known as an informal leader of protests against the centre-right Croatian Democratic Union-led government in 2011. Leading the protests for days, he was arrested on several occasions. The same year, he was a founder of the Alliance for Change, a party that later transformed itself into Living Wall. This earned its reputation by defying the police when they enforced evictions of people from their homes, as a result of which Pernar was arrested a few times.