FLASH
Shkruar nga Dragan Sormaz
What is striking these days is the complete collapse of Vučić's foreign policy and his international support!
The protests in Serbia have entered a new phase and gained new momentum after the large rally on Vidovdan. After the student protests on March 15 and the use of sound cannons against peaceful demonstrators, I warned of a wave of repression by Aleksandar Vučić.
Apart from lies and deceit, all that is left is repression. Given the widespread, massive and ongoing protests, the regime has responded in recent days with increased repression and mass arrests. Student protests have evolved into civil protests, the main tactic of which is blocking the roads! It is difficult to expect any other form of protest, while a general strike is no longer reasonable! Even in much more developed countries, it has become impossible. Technological development, the decline of factory jobs and the declining role of unions make a general strike unthinkable.
What is striking these days is the complete collapse of Vučić's foreign policy and his international support! China, burdened by Trump's decisions, has no time to deal with "small problems"! Russia always acts in accordance with its own interests and is currently weighing whether to bring the wavering Vučić to his knees and replace him with a more determined and loyal nationalist like Ljubomir Lompar, or not to risk such a change.
America suddenly practically accuses Vučić of wanting to start a war in Kosovo. Now they are imposing 35% tariffs on Serbia, making us one of the four countries with the highest tariffs in the world. The European Union should become Serbia's most important partner, but this depends on us and our wisdom! The EU's stance towards Serbia is more than fair, despite the situation the country is in and the messages it receives from the government, the opposition, but also from the protesters who have already invented a new term: "Serbian integralism"!
Serbia participates in multilateral forums, in which Vučić also participates, but he is increasingly becoming a “black sheep” and Western leaders are increasingly avoiding personal meetings with him! Vučić announced a meeting with Trump, but was forced to leave the USA. He announced a meeting with Macron in Seville, but the meeting did not take place! He publicly announced that he had met with Ursula von der Leyen, but she secretly denied this. However, the EU will not support replacing the weak and powerless Vučić with a new pro-Russian and powerful nationalist!
Both the EU and the US will only support those forces in power that are prepared to implement the necessary reforms in the areas of justice, media, electoral law... but also in the fight against corruption and crime... as well as those who immediately impose sanctions on Russia, who assist Ukraine in an open and transparent manner, and who terminate all intergovernmental agreements (with China) that are not in line with EU policy!
And that's exactly where the problem lies! Currently, both the government and the citizens are in a consumer war in which the citizens have a long-term advantage, but are still unable to deal a devastating blow to Vučić.
The problem and deficit of the student protest is the lack of a political articulation that would be attractive to today's young and middle-aged generations. With the 19th-century ideas proclaimed in the Vidovdan protest, the "students" did not offer Serbia a program for the modernization and democratization of the country, but simply a simple replacement for the regime of Aleksandar Vučić, who would continue his policies!
In these circumstances, the regime can still count on the West’s disinterest in Serbia’s internal development, which gives it additional time. Of course, this is on condition that it does not use even more open violence, which would lead to mass injuries and casualties. This would no longer be tolerated by the European Union. In addition, Lompar’s program of “Serbian integralism” benefits the regime, as it incites a small number of Russophile extremists against the regime, whom it can cleverly use against the West. For example, Lompar is suddenly invited to a provincial public radio station, where his students are called terrorists!
The biggest success of the protests in Serbia is that the regime will be forced to accept the ODIHR recommendations and democratize the electoral process at least partially! This opens up space for freer political competition and the presentation of a real political alternative! The only alternative to the Russophilic deceptions and lies of Vučić/Lompar, to corruption and criminality, isolation and poverty… is the electoral list of those who support a Serbia in the EU! The demands of the students and their supporters have their deserved place on this list! Now it is up to the students who want a democratic, free and fair Serbia to decide and clearly represent this position before the public! / Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "TheGeopost"
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