LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: I believe Kosovo will not apply for UNESCO membership in forthcoming years (Beta)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Kosovo would not apply for membership in UNESCO and Interpol in the forthcoming years, because it lacked support in that United Nations body. “The reservation I declared was accurate and precisely reflected the truth about who had majority in UNESCO. Where did those 15 countries go, which Behgjet Pacolli mentioned in the corridor of the UN building in New York? They will have to wait for two more years, and I think it will not pass even then,” Vucic told reporters in Ruma. He added that Serbia would be cautious and continue the struggle for the preservation of churches, monasteries and other Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Dacic: Vucic’s invitation for dialogue is no preparation for recognition of Kosovo (RTV)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said in a Radio and Television of Vojvodina (RTV) broadcast that the international dialogue has the purpose of us trying to define what would be our proposal for a lasting solution of the problems of Serbs and Albanians. “Both us and Pristina have two stands that are far away – our stand is that everything is written in our Constitution and that nothing should be changed, while their stand is that everything is written in their Constitution and that we need to recognize Kosovo, and between these two constitutions there is life and the situation on the ground that is completely different from what is written in the constitution,” he said. He says that that present Serbian proposal – autonomy within Serbia, would never pass, just as some other proposals that would not be accepted by our side. “There will be a historical agreement between the Serbs and Albanians only if they want it. Don’t think that they are not telling us to recognize Kosovo as an independent state…they are telling us. And what do they think now, that we will do that? Well, we won’t…there can be pressure as much as you want,” he said. “They have written the thesis on a comprehensive agreement on normalization of relations, even though nobody knows what that means. This was once written by Stefan Fule, but where he is now? In the long run, why do we need to become a EU member if Kosovo is a condition,” wonders Dacic, adding that the Serbian government has not defined EU membership as the only priority and that protection of territorial integrity will be the most important priority. “As long as there are Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Slovakia, it will not happen…what seat in the United Nations…perhaps some footstool in the corridor,” he says. Dacic says the European Commission would determine very easily recognition of Kosovo as the criteria for Serbia’s EU membership if it weren’t for these five countries inside the EU that haven’t recognized Kosovo, and Cyprus and Spain are the most fierce in defending the respect of international law. Asked whether it is possible for Kosovo to receive a seat in the UN without Serbia recognizing independence of Kosovo, Dacic responded that this impossible without Serbia’s consent. Serbia supports the territorial integrity of Spain and will not accept any unilateral acts by Catalonia. “These are unilateral acts that violate international law. They thought that Kosovo will be a precedent, a special case, but there will be many of them in Europe. Every case is specific, but one should be concrete – at issue is a procedure or a path of unilateral acts, without agreement with Belgrade, Madrid or Nicosia, whereby international law is being violated,” Dacic says.

Dacic confirmed that Belgrade would be the venue for upcoming talks between Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov and the US special representative for resolution of the Donbass conflict Kurt Volker. “The very fact the two big powers have picked Belgrade as the venue for the meeting indicates we have a different foreign policy position than we had before,” Dacic told RTV.

 

Dacic: Serbia will not accept unilateral acts of Catalonia (RTS/Tanjug)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic underlined during the talks with Spanish Ambassador to Serbia Miguel Fuertes Suarez that Serbia stands firmly by Spain and gives it unreserved support when it comes to the defense and protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Dacic underlined that Serbia fully supports Spain in the defence of its constitutional order and the respect for the democratically adopted Constitution of Spain. He expressed gratitude to Spain for having proved countless times that it is a true and honest friend and that it firmly backs our country in the matters of strategic importance for Serbia. Serbia will not accept any unilateral acts of Catalonia. The only correct way is in dialogue, Dacic underlined.
Fuertes expressed his gratitude to Dacic, who, in the spirit of friendly relations between the two countries, once again affirmed the unequivocal support of Serbia to Spain’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, a stance that Spain appreciates highly.

 

Djuic: Law cannot be valid for some, but not for others (RTS)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric has told the morning news of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that the very initiative to conduct an internal dialogue on Kosovo has contributed to speak about this topic more than what had been the case in the past. “There are already beneficial effects. We cannot manage this challenge without the entire society. Every dialogue is curing,” says Djuric.

Speaking about the European Commission statement about Kosovo and Catalonia, Djuric says that it seems some expected that Serbia would perhaps be silent to injustice, hypocrisy and double standards. “But, you have seen that Serbia had very clearly reacted and raised some questions – how come it is possible that some rules that are not valid for a single country in the world  are valid for the Serbs, how come our Constitution is less valuable. We will continue to throw light on the truth – there cannot be nations and states less equal in relation to others and that international law is valid for some but not for others,” he said.

According to him, nobody should be surprised that Pristina is farther away from international organizations. “The fact that they have given up candidacy for UNESCO means they haven’t been telling the truth. We must continue to fight and speak the truth about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, regardless of what the international community thinks,” he says.

When it comes to the upcoming local elections in Kosovo and Metohija, slated for 22 October, Djuric says that it is important that the Serb List confirms unity of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija for the third time at the local elections. “The third time for the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija calls for a test of unity, before that in April, June this year, and every time the Serbs were united. They tried to push lists that were closer to Pristina…” said Djuric.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Dodik says peaceful talks on ‘splitting apart’ should be held (RTRS)

 

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik stated on Thursday that after the referendum in Catalonia, nothing will be the same in the EU, due to obvious double standards. “We heard the EU saying that it was internal matter of Spain and I want to know if processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) are internal matter of B&H or their own matter,” presenter quoted Dodik. He said that peoples are entitled to self-determination and added that Catalonia will declare independence on Monday, which will cause new reality. “Due to these events, maybe it is time to start rational talks on possible peaceful dissolution of B&H. That process has to start because such B&H with interventionism of international community did not succeed. As such, it is obviously a failed state” he said. Dodik stressed that the Dayton Peace Agreement was ruined by international factors, High Representatives above all, while international law was ruined by international representatives. Dodik emphasized that the RS is not content with the situation and position in B&H, and added that many responsibilities were taken from the RS. “The RS has no benefits from B&H. The RS has to gather around its interests. Authorities, opposition and all people should assess in what way to move forward,” he said. Dodik warned that it is not possible to speak about Catalonia without mentioning the situation with Kosovo. “Alleged independence of Kosovo was supported by the West on basis of the decision by one group of MPs, not even by Kosovo Parliament, and the declaration they signed. It means that those in the West deem that we are people of lower value. They want to secure obedience here,” he said. Dodik claimed that assessments on B&H as a failed state can be heard more and more often at the international scene. Dodik also said that this situation between politicians in B&H only proves that B&H should seriously consider separation, because B&H in this capacity and with these politicians in charge will not be able to progress and develop.

 

EPP leader Daul meets B&H Presidency members (FTV)

 

President of the European People’s Party (EPP) Joseph Daul met in separate meetings with Chairman and members of the B&H Presidency Dragan Covic, Bakir Izetbegovic and Mladen Ivanic, in Sarajevo on Thursday. They discussed the political situation in B&H, construction of the Peljesac Bridge, adoption of a set of laws on excise duties of B&H and the European Commission’s (EC) Questionnaire. Analyzing his three-day visit to B&H and a number of meetings he held with B&H politicians and citizens, Daul expressed fierce criticism at the press conference on Thursday, reminding of a declaration signed in Sarajevo four years ago when commitment to progress in the field of rule of law, independent judiciary and the fight against corruption was expressed. He noted that none of these was implemented and he also expressed special concern over growing distance between B&H political elites and citizens. However, Daul assessed that his talks with the B&H Presidency Chairman and members were honest, stressing that three people’s parties in B&H must find solutions – particularly when it comes to B&H’s path towards the EU. He also criticized growing trend among young people in B&H to leave the country, deeming that it seems that youth does not have any other choice. “Politicians think about elections, while I want a statesman who thinks about future generations”, Daul stressed. Commenting on Daul’s visit and his meetings at B&H Presidency, Izetbegovic said that the need for reaching an agreement on amendments to the Election Law of B&H was also stressed at the meeting. Izetbegovic said that Daul will take a depressive image of B&H with him because he had a chance to get a real image of B&H by talking to citizens, non-governmental organizations and politicians. “The atmosphere is not good and I think that it is perhaps even worse than the real situation is,” Izetbegovic added.Covic said that Daul presented clear commitment to B&H’s Euro-Atlantic path that has to be free of any kind of political games aimed at blocking of this path. He reminded that he expressed optimism at the meeting with Daul with regard to B&H’s gaining the EU candidate statue in the first quarter of 2018 in case that the EC’s Questionnaire is completed.

 

Izetbegovic meets Cormack, Wigemark: US, EU fully support B&H on EU path (BHT1)

 

Member of B&H Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic met with US Ambassador to B&H Maureen Cormack and Head of the EU Delegation to B&H (EUD) and EU Special Representative (EUSR) in B&H Lars-Gunnar Wigemark in Sarajevo on Thursday. Izetbegovic’s Cabinet issued a press release after the meeting which reads that the officials discussed the current political situation in B&H, with special emphasis to acceleration of the Euro-Atlantic road of B&H, continuation of reform processes and changes to B&H Election Law. Izetbegovic underlined the importance of adoption of the Law on Excise Duties and emphasized that principles that imply full transparency and spending of the money collected in this way in special purpose, must be respected. Speaking about changes to B&H Election Law, Izetbegovic stressed that all solutions must comply with democratic principles and the highest standards of the human rights, and disable potential and further ethnic divisions. In this regard, Izetbegovic stressed the need to respect decisions of B&H Constitutional Court and rulings of international courts. The press release also reads that during the meeting, Wigemark and Cormack said that the US and the EU fully support B&H on the road towards the EU, as well as all constructive efforts, aimed to overcome the current differences in political standpoints.

 

Hahn: No large financial assistance without additional excise duties; I would welcome it if B&H abolished visas for Kosovo (Dnevni avaz)

 

European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement negotiations Johannes Hahn stated that B&H showed over the last two years it is possible to carry out reforms when there is political will for that. This is why, he stressed, it is necessary for political leaders of B&H to focus again on reforms, especially those stemming from the Reform Agenda and which refer to socioeconomic matters, the rule of law and public administration. In order to achieve that, continued Hahn, it requires fiscal changes, which refer to adoption of additional excise duties too. “I would also like to welcome adoption of the State Strategy for Transport, and I am impatiently waiting for consent of leaders in B&H regarding other state strategies, such as those referring to agriculture, energy and employment. They are a prerequisite for state to benefit from generous financial assistance that the EU offers and provides in these sectors”, he added.

Speaking about accession to the Transport Community, Commissioner Hahn emphasized that this is, without any doubt, and important step forward, but that there will be no financial assistance without adoption of additional excise duties on fuel and there will be no infrastructural projects that were approved at the Trieste Summit this summer.

Asked why he speaks in favor of regional economic union in the Western Balkans, he first reminded that prime ministers of the six Western Balkans countries agreed at the Trieste Summit this summer to intensify economic cooperation through the Regional Economic Area (REA), which covers the sectors of trade, investments, services, digital economy and labor force movement. “Indeed, we strongly believe that progressive enhancement of economic relations and integration of the Western Balkans, based on principles that rule the EU, would significantly strengthen progress on the road to the Union. At the same time, that would strongly assist the economies to fulfill economic conditions for joining the EU,” he concluded.

Commissioner Hahn expressed deep concern over nationalist rhetoric, adding that despite different views of certain issues, the neighbors must solve them through constructive dialogue. According to him, the Trieste Summit showed that the wish to make progress is much stronger than nationalist sentiments. He also noted that one of the obstacles to regional economic integration in the Western Balkans is visa regime, adding ‘I would welcome it if B&H abolished visas for Kosovo’.

Asked how strong is the influence of Russia and Turkey in the region and B&H, and how does he plan to confront it, he first noted that the geopolitical position of the region makes it strategically important and that it is natural that it attracts interest of global actors. “With a clear European perspective, the Western Balkans is closer to the EU geographically, historically, culturally and, maybe most importantly, economically”, Hahn emphasized, adding that the EU is the main trade partner of the Balkans and the largest source of direct foreign investments and financial assistance through various grants. He continued by saying that the Balkans rightly belongs in the EU. “Majority of people in your region thinks the same way we do. All countries of the Western Balkans got committed to the EU membership. This is a realistic perspective and not some fake news. Because, I see no other geopolitical alternative, being so realistic and matching ours,” he underlined.

 

Croatia and Serbia do not need to be friends, but they must cooperate (HRT)

 

The official visit by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to Zagreb has been postponed said President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic's office in a statement. "President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has judged that at this time there are no preconditions for a visit by Aleksandar Vucic to Croatia which was planned to take place by the end of this year,” said a statement from the president’s office at Pantovcak. The arrival of Vucic has been postponed "because the latest development of events and atmosphere do not contribute to the building of mutual trust.” The president emphasized that she had repeatedly noted that there was no alternative to dialogue in relations with all neighbors, including Serbia, and that with the signing of the Subotica declaration preconditions began to be created for the resolution of open issues. In accordance with this, talks began on Vucic’s visit. An invitation to visit Croatia was sent to him with the intention to further normalize relations and build mutual trust. "The main goal of the visit by the Serbian president, when it takes place, must be a positive step in resolving open issues and contributing to improvement of relations between the two countries, that do not have to be friendly, but they must cooperate for their own future and the stability of Southeast Europe,” said the statement.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic commented on the postponement of Vucic’s visit following the conference titled "Croatia as we Need it – Agriculture for the 21st Century". "President Vucic was supposed to come here at the invitation of President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. These visits are always sensitive. They must come at the right moment. It seems to me that after these statements and comments that we heard from members of the government of the Republic of Serbia we need to wait for that moment for some time," said Plenkovic.

"Responsibility for the postponement of the visit is on the Serbian side since statements by Serbian leaders were not directed toward improving relations between the two countries. I am sorry and cannot accept the theory by the Serbian side on relativization of the Serbian aggression against Croatia in the nineties,” said parliament speaker Gordan Jandrokovic. "Any attempt to declare the greater Serbian aggression a civil war is unacceptable for the Republic of Croatia. We want to build relations with all countries, but the basis for this is historical truth and facts. It is unacceptable that high-ranking officials from the Serbian government take such steps that diminish the quality of relations between our two countries,” added Jandrokovic.

 

Krk Airport becomes Pentagon’s airlift hub (Vecernji list)

 

An unusual number of US military aircraft lands on the Croatian island. The airport on the island of Krk has become an important logistics base for the US Defense Department, which uses it for its weapons shipments to the Middle East. While the airport is usually used by low-cost air carriers and people looking for summer sunshine, since April many large transport aircraft carrying ammunition and unidentified military supplies for US wars in the Middle East have also been seen there. Ten flights have connected Rijeka with the US air base in Qatar, Al Udeid. Other data also show that transport aircraft regularly carry military supplies from Qatar to Kuwait, to warehouses destined for Syrian rebels. Four additional flights were conducted in June and July by the Silk Way air carrier from Azerbaijan, which uses a fleet of large Russian Il-76 aircraft. SOCOM, a secretive branch of the US Army, allegedly purchases equipment and weapons for Syrian rebels, and Rijeka has become a hub for military flights after the US stopped sending supplies to Syria via military bases in Germany. The Pentagon has not confirmed that it had used Germany for sending military equipment to Syria. However, other information shows that the Pentagon had used German bases and that it now sends weapons to Syria through Croatia. According to documents, the Pentagon has bought large quantities of Bulgarian ammunition for Iraqi and Syrian rebels in September 2016, in the amount of 16 million dollars. The arrival of transport flights to the Croatian island of Krk coincided with the first contract between the Pentagon and the Alan agency, the Croatian state-owned arms dealer. In April, the Pentagon signed a 12.4 million dollar contract for weapons from the former Eastern Bloc. When journalists asked the Alan agency about the final destination of the consignments, the agency did not respond. “We firmly reject all the assumptions from your messages,” the agency wrote.

The Croatian government and the Pentagon did not respond to questions about the use of the airport as a hub for military flights (the Croatian Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs did not provide a response, while the Economy Ministry said it was secret information).

Croatian Defense Minister Damir Krsticevic reacted to the report. “Croatia works together with our friends and allies. You know that I was at the Pentagon a couple of months ago, that I talked with Defense Secretary Mattis, you know what Mattis said about the Operation Storm, that this was a top-notch operation carried out by a well prepared and trained army. You are aware that the US is our key partner, ally, that they have been very helpful in the whole process of joining NATO and the EU. Today, we have a visit by the German Defense Minister, just a few days ago we had defense ministers from Poland, Israel, Sweden. Within the framework of partnership and friendship with other countries, we are using the Croatian infrastructure, but this infrastructure is used in line with all the international agreements and programs, and this is something which partners, allies and friends do,” said Krsticevic, without providing any details.

 

Saudi Arabia to build world’s largest Islamic Museum in Croatia (Vecernji list)

 

After Rijeka, where they visited the seaport, and the Plitvice Lakes as a natural phenomenon, the Saudi Arabia's Advisory Assembly’s delegation, which is officially named the Saudi Arabian-Croatian Friendship Group, visited Vukovar. Along with congratulating Croatia on its progress and describing Croatia' as their second country, the head of the delegation Abdullah Humud Al Harbey announced that a number of projects are planned to be implemented as part of the Vision 2030 initiative. “We will also meet with highest government representatives of Croatia. We plan to build a large Islamic museum in Croatia, which will be the biggest such museum in the world. Croatia's experience can be of great help to us. Croatia is also rich with water resources, so we will also talk about the possibilities of exporting water to Saudi Arabia,” said Abdullah Humud Al Harbey. He thanked the authorities and the Croatian people for protecting the rights of Muslims in the Republic of Croatia. Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Croatia Hani Abdullah Mominah, who covers Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina, said he was deeply convinced in the start of a new phase of economic cooperation between the two countries, which will provide a strong impetus for further development of economic relations.

 

Number one candidate from the independent lists of councilors in Kichevo dies (Meta)

 

The number one candidate on the independent lists of councilors in Kichevo, 40-year-old Ali Abazi, who was shot on 27 September in Kichevo, died this morning in Skopje’s Clinical Centre. Abazi, from his wound was in critical state and in intensive care, due to serious injuries to the abdominal organs and the spine. Abdullah Abdulli, 58, shot at Alit Abazi, as well as at Destan Abdiu, head of his election headquarters, and Shaban Dalipi, a passerby. The killer was soon detained, and a judge ordered a 30 day of pre-trial detention period.

Interior Minister, Oliver Spasovski repeated at a press conference the police’s claim that the attack was not related to the election campaign.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev condemned any violence in the election process and called for restraint from activities that would leave a stain on these elections.

 

Sekerinska meets NATO Brig. Gen. Jeleniewski (MIA)

 

Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska welcomed Thursday a NATO delegation, led by Brigadier General Marian Jeleniewski, Deputy Director of NATO Security Cooperation Sector. The purpose of the visit of NATO military delegation is to initiate closer cooperation between the Alliance and Macedonia Army (ARM), the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a press release. The intensified political activity of the Republic of Macedonia towards NATO should be supported by a closer military cooperation, Brig. Gen. Jeleniewski said and offered three proposals for increasing military cooperation between the Alliance's military structure and ARM, such as expert level interviews once a year; NATO and ARM experts to discuss issues of common interest; regular annual NATO Military Committee - ARM meeting; better representation of the ARM within the NATO structures by referring a national military representative of the Republic of Macedonia to the NATO Federal Command (SHAPE) and filling positions of partner staff officers in NATO military commands. The MoD and the government are providing not only support, but also a strong impetus to the proposals for better military co-operation, Sekerinska said. “I believe that without the MoD-ARM cooperation there could no progress, while a closer NATO-ARM cooperation can only be beneficial for Macedonia's NATO membership and ARM status” Sekerinska said. NATO membership, democratic and defense reforms are Macedonia's strategic priorities, she told the visiting delegation.

 

Tensions in parliament, Democrats block the podium (ADN)

 

The Democrat MP, Lulzim Basha used a harsh language on Thursday against speaker Gramoz Ruci while urging him to interrupt the Parliament session. He requested an urgent meeting of the Chairmen Conference and the inclusion of the discussions for the electoral reform in the parliament’s agenda. “This parliament is degrading on a daily basis. Albanians expect a parliamentary debate on the elections. Meantime you are not prepared for this debate because you do not want such thing to happen. You should summon the Chairmen’s Conference without any further delay. This parliament is neither majority asset nor your personal domain,” said Basha addressing to speaker Ruci. The drastic measure was taken by the Speaker Gramoz Ruci on grounds of discipline violation. Ruci expelled Basha from the parliament. Earlier Ruci repeatedly invited the DP leader to sit in his place but the latest categorically refused to do so.

“I would not want to open this parliamentary session with the punishment of opposition’s leader,” declared Ruçi while inviting one more time Basha to take his place. The expulsion of Basha generated a tensed situation in parliament. Despite being repeatedly invited to leave the hall Basha refused to do so blocking the podium along with other Democrat MPs.  On view of this difficult situation Ruci interrupted one more time the session while inviting the MPs to join the blood donation campaign in parliament’s premise. This way of doing seems to an indirect move which aims to free the rostrum in order to avoid the use of the guards to forcibly remove the Democrat MPs. Democrat MPs continue their sit down protest inside of the parliament. While the opposition leader, Lulzim Basha made two requests. "We have two conditions: electoral reform which includes electronic voting process and ultimate crime defeat. Without solving these two issues our resistance will continue in all forms and democratic ways," underlined Basha. Democrats resisted for six hours inside the parliament, as a protest against the rules imposed by Ruci on the discussions for the electoral reform. Electoral Reform is the main cause of all the tensions in the parliament. Democrats want to discuss on this issue, but Ruci refused to let them discuss out of Parliament Regulation. Democrats must fight harder. This was the message of the former leader of Democratic Party, Sali Berisha during the meeting of the DP parliamentary group late on Thursday. According to him, Democrats should use any space of the Parliament Regulation to debate and reply at any session. DP decided to move in a fighting position in parliament with a long list of questions addressed to the ministers starting with the electoral reform.

 

Basha: Free speech and democracy are at risk (ADN)

 

The DP head Lulzim Basha declared Thursday after the closing of plenary session that free speech and democracy are at risk. “Parliament is the place where opposition exercises its inalienable right to debate and free speech. Parliament is the place where political debate takes place in respect of free speech and any Albanian citizen regardless of political convictions. Even when opinions are completely irreconcilable, it is parliament that guarantees the social peace and democratic co-existence,” Basha said. In other words, if this parliament decides to restore the dictatorial regime which for 50 years suppressed the different opinion, by executing in all forms and ways the opposition and its stand against, then time has come to be blunt: the social peace is at risk, democratic co-existence is at risk and opposition has the right and duty to call on Albanians to take parliament in their hands. In the aftermath of this assassination attempt against democracy, the DP parliamentary group will discuss the serious situation and recommend the next steps that DP, not only its parliamentary group, but also our allies and all the citizens, will take in tandem.

 

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

A Cry for Help from Serbia’s Independent Media (FreedomHouse, 5 October 2017)

 

The increasingly authoritarian government has steadily broken down press freedom over the past four years. Some 150 Serbian news outlets and advocacy groups organized a collective blackout last month to draw attention to the dire state of media freedom in the country, replacing websites with nearly blank screens and the statement, “This is what it looks like when there is no free press.” While it did not mention him by name, the protest was clearly aimed at President Aleksandar Vucic, who since coming to power as prime minister in 2014 has sought to squeeze critical media out of the market and discredit the few journalists with the funds and fortitude to keep working. Vucic’s fear of the independent press is understandable, as investigative journalists have made a habit of embarrassing his government. Among other recent accomplishments, they—along with protesters—have forced Vucic to admit that Belgrade officials were responsible for covert, illegal demolitions in the city’s Savamala district; spotlighted Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic’s failure to stop the destruction; exposed the fact that a state anticorruption drive’s highly publicized criminal allegations rarely result in convictions; and scrutinized the mysterious origins of €200,000 with which Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin bought his home. (Vulin’s widely mocked explanation was that he borrowed the money from a generous in-law in Canada, and was not required to declare it to customs authorities because he brought it over in installments of less than €10,000.) This work is all the more remarkable given the Vucic government’s prolonged campaign of harassment against independent media, which has helped to drive down Serbia’s score in the annual Freedom of the Press index. In the most recent edition, which covered events in 2016, Serbia posted one of the largest single-year declines among all of the 199 countries and territories assessed. Serbian journalists have been lauded this year by prominent international organizations, but at home they face arbitrary tax investigations, choked-off advertising revenue, and outright intimidation, including personal smears splashed across the pages of government-allied newspapers.

 

The price of independence

One recent tax investigation targeted the local newspaper Vranjske novine, which was highly regarded for its reporting on corruption and organized crime, after it published an interview with the director of the local tax authority. The probe was categorized as “urgent” by authorities and lasted weeks, but never produced charges of wrongdoing. According to editor in chief Vukasin Obradovic, it nevertheless contributed to the paper’s closure. A similar case against Adria Media Group, one of the largest publishing companies in Serbia, played out over the summer. After the group’s Kurir tabloid carried sharp criticism of Vucic, its bank accounts were frozen by tax officials in June and again in July. Meanwhile, media firms that are friendlier toward the government receive generous rewards. According to the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia (CINS), Pink International Company, the media conglomerate that operates the vociferously pro-Vucic broadcaster TV Pink, was granted more than €7 million in public loans between June 2014 and January 2016, despite being named in 2014 as one of the largest tax debtors in the country. A 2016 report for the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) highlighted the case of the local television station Lastavica, owned by Bratislav Gasic, the intelligence chief whose vulgar harassment of a woman journalist once sparked a protest movement. The station’s license was revoked after it failed to pay certain fees, but it continued broadcasting without interference, and over €100,000 in fees and associated fines against it were eventually dropped.

 

Warping market forces

Another tool the government uses to sideline critical media is the preferential allocation of state advertising contracts. Some contracts are clearly awarded with ulterior motives. For example, the state electricity and water enterprises regularly run advertisements in certain outlets with small audiences, despite the fact that these utilities have no private competitors and could in any case reach more people through other media. Moreover, private companies are wary of advertising with independent outlets. The daily Danas suffered a rapid cancelation of advertising contracts after it failed to support Vucic’s candidacy in the 2017 presidential election. For their part, many pro-government media carried front-page advertisements, purchased by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), that promoted Vucic’s bid. Politicized advertising is not the only malign influence on the media market. A recent privatization drive, undertaken as part of Serbia’s preparations for eventual EU membership, had the perverse effect of contributing to media concentration and clouding ownership structures. The process also effectively left some influential outlets, including the newspapers Politika and Vecernje novosti and the news agency Tanjug, under state control. The privatization’s deficiencies were attributed in large part to regulatory agencies’ dereliction of the various responsibilities assigned to them. Even as independent outlets’ domestic sources of revenue drop away, foreign governments are facing pressure to scale back their support, according to Marija Sajkas, an expert on media and the Balkans. Sajkas notes that foreign embassies are becoming reluctant to award grants to critical news sources directly, for fear of causing a diplomatic rift with Vucic. She describes the country’s independent journalists as passionate individuals who frequently work for low pay and on a project-by-project basis, funded in part by periodic advertisements from democracy-minded organizations like the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Foundation and occasional supplements from the Ministry of Culture and other actors. The fragility of such a model is plain to see.

 

Fighting truth with lies

Independent outlets that have managed to survive in this environment face increasingly vicious verbal attacks from both government figures and pro-government competitors. Journalists who criticize the government are typically tarred as traitors, social degenerates, and tools of the mafia or foreign intelligence agencies. In the wake of the recent exposé by the award-winning Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK) on Vulin’s questionable home purchase, KRIK editor in chief Stevan Dojcinovic was called a drug addict in a statement by Vulin’s political party, the Movement of Socialists. The document added that “Dojcinovic was paid from abroad for every article that attacks Vulin” and that “anyone who loves Serbia and who fights for it, Dojcinovic hates immensely.” Smears of government opponents, including journalists, in the pages of pro-government media—notably the daily Informer—are a routine occurrence that draws no reaction from authorities. When pressed to respond, Serbian officials insist that their commitment to media freedom precludes any intervention. (In a similar vein, “Uncensored Lies,” a 2016 government-backed exhibit staged in a Belgrade art gallery, portrayed critical journalists as liars but noted that the state’s tolerance of such “lies” illustrated Serbia’s free media environment.) The hostile messages carried in Serbia’s newspapers are amplified by morning television and radio programs that begin discussion by surveying the day’s print headlines. In this way, according to Sajkas, people are “led to believe that they are well-informed” because they hear the same messages from different sources. “It’s beyond propaganda,” Sajkas says, referring to the ubiquity of pro-government disinformation. “People used to be able to decode government propaganda, but now tabloids like the Informer are just feeding people lies.”

 

A call to action

Additional threats to media freedom in Serbia include the stacking of public broadcasters with government loyalists; defamation lawsuits; threats and other extralegal intimidation, particularly against women journalists; and physical attacks for which perpetrators enjoy impunity. Despite these constraints on the flow of information, there is still strong domestic opposition to Vucic and his authoritarian tendencies. This was evident during a protest movement against irregularities surrounding Vucic’s election as president in April. The demonstrators called out public media for unequal coverage of the candidates, and their demands included not just stronger democratic institutions and Vucic’s resignation, but also the resignation of senior officials at the public broadcasters and the Authority for Electronic Media. These media-related grievances grew after public and progovernment outlets ignored or downplayed the size of the protests, with the Informer trotting out familiar claims about roguish demonstrators who were few in number but nonetheless posed a grave security threat. Periodic admonishments from the EU, the OSCE, and international advocacy organizations have failed to prevent the alarming deterioration of Serbia’s media sector. If they are to protect the small cadre of independent journalists working to hold Vucic’s government to account, these groups will have to sharpen their denunciations of flagrant violations, such as menacing smears and bogus financial inspections, and call attention to less visible factors like market manipulation and politically compromised regulators. They must also step up financial support for independent media, ensuring that high-quality investigative journalism remains a viable alternative to cynical government narratives. Vucic and his allies seem to understand that unfettered reporting could help to consolidate democracy, strengthen independent institutions, and expose networks of corruption. The question is whether the international community understands this too.

 

U.S. Envoy For Ukraine To Meet Kremlin Aide In Belgrade (RFE/RL, 5 October 2017)

 

Kurt Volker, the U.S. special envoy for efforts to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, says he will meet with Kremlin aide Vladislav Surkov on October 7 in Serbia's capital, Belgrade.

"Will meet Russian counterpart Oct 7 in Belgrade to discuss how to catalyze Minsk implementation and restore Ukraine's territorial integrity," Volker tweeted early on October 5.

"Minsk" refers to a February 2015 agreement, signed in the Belarusian capital, that called for a cease-fire and set out steps to end the conflict that have gone largely unimplemented. The meeting will be the second between Volker and Surkov, who is Russian President Vladimir Putin's point man for the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Belgrade is a neutral venue. Volker has thus far refused to meet with Surkov in Russia, and Surkov is barred from the European Union under sanctions imposed in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The two held talks for the first time on August 21 in Minsk.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appointed Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, as the U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations in July. After the August meeting, Surkov said his discussion with Volker was "useful and constructive." The war between Russia-backed separatists and government forces in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 10,000 people since April 2014. Russia-backed separatists seized parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, which border Russia, and the war has persisted despite the February 2015 agreement and a September 2014 deal that was also signed in Minsk. Sanctions imposed by the EU, the United States, and other countries have not prompted Russia to abandon its support for the separatists or fulfill its commitments under the Minsk agreements. Relations between Moscow and Washington have been driven to a post-Cold War low by disagreements over issues including Russia's aggression in Ukraine, its role in the war in Syria, and its alleged interference in the U.S. presidential election in 2016.

 

Could Spain Go the Way of Yugoslavia? (The National Interest, by Svante E. Cornell, 5 October 2017)

 

In recent years, the European Union has been bogged down by one crisis after another—from Greece to the Euro to Brexit. But happily, none of these have endangered what has underpinned European integration since the late 1940s: securing lasting peace among European states. Europe has not been spared political violence, as residents of Northern Ireland and the Basque country can attest to. But to almost all Europeans, the notion of armed conflict within their midst is no longer even thinkable. While the Catalonia crisis is not destined to degenerate into large-scale violence, European and American leaders do not appear to take the potential for conflict seriously. They are mistaken. The Catalan crisis was triggered by utterly irresponsible behavior on the part of both the region’s and Spain’s leaders. While opinion polls show a majority of Catalonia’s residents oppose independence, Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont called a referendum on independence that was rushed through the local parliament and was, by all standards, illegal. Unsurprisingly, since opponents of independence would not cast a vote in an illegal poll, less than half of eligible voters took part. Yet defying logic, Puigdemont concluded the pre-ordained yes vote gave the region a “right” to independence. Had the Spanish government simply ignored the referendum, nothing would likely have come of it. But instead, Mariano Rajoy’s government sent in the paramilitary Gurdia Civil to prevent the vote from being held. In scenes not seen in Europe for decades, they seized ballots, shot rubber bullets and physically dragged people away from polling stations, injuring hundreds. The war of words continues. Catalonia threatens to declare independence; Madrid warns it might revoke Catalonia’s far-reaching self-rule. To students of ethnic conflict, this sequence of events is all too familiar, and reminiscent of how conflicts in Yugoslavia and the Caucasus started some twenty-five years ago: passions flame, and irresponsible leaders get caught in a spiral of escalation they can no longer control. Violence polarizes people, and extremists on both sides reap the benefits. Worst-case scenarios need not materialize, but what we know from other conflict zones is cause for concern.

First, officials underestimate what Catalonia’s autonomy means. While diplomats and scholars often advocate self-rule as a solution to ethnic tensions, Catalonia’s autonomy provides the territory with the symbolic trappings of statehood, as well as institutions and leaders that almost by default represent nationalist ambitions. As I show in Autonomy and Conflict, local self-rule helped trigger the wars in the Caucasus in the early 1990s. It could in Catalonia, too. Catalonia’s autonomy means that the region has its own police force, the Mossos D’Esquadra. During Sunday’s vote, the Mossos refused to obey federal instructions to stop the referendum. On several occasions, disputes between federal and Catalan police forces almost led to physical altercations. Madrid and Barcelona, thus, both control men under arms that are increasingly pitted against each other. If the situation escalates, and Catalan police officers side with their regional leadership, Spain will effectively lose its already tenuous control over the territory. If a single miscalculation leads to real bloodshed, a point of no return could be reached. For Madrid, the stakes are high. Losing control over Catalonia would likely also boost Basque secessionism. Could Spain make real its threat to abolish Catalonia’s self-rule, thus disbanding the Mossos d’Esquadra and Catalan institutions? Unfortunately, we know how dangerous such a move could be. Political scientists have found the removal of political autonomy to be one of the most powerful triggers of revolt and civil war. One need look no further than Kosovo: in 1989, Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic revoked Kosovo’s autonomy and imposed direct rule over the restive province. This at first triggered non-violent protests. As no one paid attention, this gave way to the emergence of the Kosovo Liberation Army and led to the 1998 war in Kosovo. To a minority such as the Catalans, the removal of autonomy would constitute the ultimate slap in the face, and be received as a denial of both their identity and rights they have come to see as self-evident. Much more than most European and Americans seem to realize, Madrid and Barcelona are at the brink. They may look down the abyss, not like what they see, and take a step back. Even then, they may no longer be able to manage this crisis peacefully. European leaders, whose reaction has been predictably ham-fisted, do not have the luxury of complacency. They need to act fast to defuse this crisis.

Svante E. Cornell is a Senior Fellow with the American Foreign Policy Council and a co-founder of the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm. He is the author of Autonomy and Conflict, published by Uppsala University Press in 2002.