President in "appeal in time of crisis"

Boris Tadic believes that although not ideal, Serbia's new budget adoption is good news, and the first and most important reaction to the financial crisis. This is not a time of model, but rather of emergency economic circumstances, and for this reason Serbia needs to bring together all the national potential, cohesion and restraint, the president said in an interview for FoNet today. President in "appeal in time of crisis" New elections, he reiterated, would under such circumstances be "the worst possible solution". According to Tadic, besides measures to counter the effects of the crisis, Serbia must also prepare her economy and political system to overcome the crisis, since this will be the only way to count on speedy growth and better living conditions. "Now is not a time for panic and moaning, but for unifying all the national potential. Today is a time for a policy and government that listens to business people, for business people that hear unions, and for experts to hear one another." He also touched on the 2009 budget to say that although it may have to undergo a revision – once again due to the economic crisis – it is still stabilizing, without neglecting development and investments in infrastructure and roads, that could create jobs. "I have in the past days listened to the debates between employers and unions. And if we come up with a list of our desires and demands, if we are governed by the principle of desire rather than rationality, then we will get nowhere and there is danger that the entire financial system of the country will collapse," according to Tadic. At the same time he told workers that they live under difficult circumstances and that he "understands their demands", but added that higher salaries are not the "only idea". Other ideas, according to the president, are to establish a sustainable economic order, that will secure a huge growth of the Serbian economy once it gets out of the crisis. "The situation is more than extraordinary, and I appeal to all social structures, workers, unions, pensioners, employers, farmers, that we need restraint. That's also the message to politicians, presidents of managing boards, restraint in every sense of the word," Tadic said. As for the promises made in the first half of 2008, the president said they failed to materialize because of the "economic woes". "The street protests that have been announced are understandable as far as I'm concerned, because workers lives' are hard," Tadic said, concluding that "this still is a moment when everyone must put their demands on hold, look at the priorities and show responsibility". Boris Tadic speaks to a FoNet reporter on Friday (FoNet)

President in "appeal in time of crisis"

New elections, he reiterated, would under such circumstances be "the worst possible solution".

According to Tadić, besides measures to counter the effects of the crisis, Serbia must also prepare her economy and political system to overcome the crisis, since this will be the only way to count on speedy growth and better living conditions.

"Now is not a time for panic and moaning, but for unifying all the national potential. Today is a time for a policy and government that listens to business people, for business people that hear unions, and for experts to hear one another."

He also touched on the 2009 budget to say that although it may have to undergo a revision – once again due to the economic crisis – it is still stabilizing, without neglecting development and investments in infrastructure and roads, that could create jobs.

"I have in the past days listened to the debates between employers and unions. And if we come up with a list of our desires and demands, if we are governed by the principle of desire rather than rationality, then we will get nowhere and there is danger that the entire financial system of the country will collapse," according to Tadić.

At the same time he told workers that they live under difficult circumstances and that he "understands their demands", but added that higher salaries are not the "only idea". Other ideas, according to the president, are to establish a sustainable economic order, that will secure a huge growth of the Serbian economy once it gets out of the crisis.

"The situation is more than extraordinary, and I appeal to all social structures, workers, unions, pensioners, employers, farmers, that we need restraint. That's also the message to politicians, presidents of managing boards, restraint in every sense of the word," Tadić said.

As for the promises made in the first half of 2008, the president said they failed to materialize because of the "economic woes".

"The street protests that have been announced are understandable as far as I'm concerned, because workers lives' are hard," Tadić said, concluding that "this still is a moment when everyone must put their demands on hold, look at the priorities and show responsibility".