Vojvodina speaker calls for regionalization

Bojan Kostres called for Serbia to be regionalized, adding that this is the best solution for developing democracy. “Vojvodina supports the regionalization of Serbia because European experience has shown in several cases the link with democratic progress,” the Vojvodina assembly speaker said yesterday at a European Parliament forum in Strasburg. Vojvodina speaker calls for regionalization Kostres said that Vojvodina could help Serbia’s integration into European structures if it was autonomous, adding that the province's level of autonomy effected the level of stability in the region. He also spoke about the specific character of Vojvodina as a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic region, stressing that these characteristic were Vojvodina’s greatest assets, as well as Serbia’s. The forum was organized by the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies which, according to the information secretariat in Novi Sad, is one of the most important and influential organizations for regional democracy in Europe. Its members are Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Finland, Portugal and Great Britain. LSV for full autonomy League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) official Aleksandra Jerkov said at a party convention that “a government headed by Vojislav Kostunica will never be a European or democratic one.” She called for the restoration of full autonomy for Vojvodina and said that “when Vojvodina’s residents ask where their money has gone, they are immediately accused of being separatists, traitors and drug users.” Backi Petrovac municipal LSV leader Karol Verle said that Slovak children in Vojvodina tended to go to Slovakia to study and usually end up staying there. “If Vojvodina does not receive autonomy with legislative, executive and judicial authority, our children will continue to leave, and our Vojvodina will continue to get old and fall apart,” Verle said.

Vojvodina speaker calls for regionalization

Kostreš said that Vojvodina could help Serbia’s integration into European structures if it was autonomous, adding that the province's level of autonomy effected the level of stability in the region.

He also spoke about the specific character of Vojvodina as a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic region, stressing that these characteristic were Vojvodina’s greatest assets, as well as Serbia’s.

The forum was organized by the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies which, according to the information secretariat in Novi Sad, is one of the most important and influential organizations for regional democracy in Europe.

Its members are Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Finland, Portugal and Great Britain.

LSV for full autonomy

League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) official Aleksandra Jerkov said at a party convention that “a government headed by Vojislav Koštunica will never be a European or democratic one.”

She called for the restoration of full autonomy for Vojvodina and said that “when Vojvodina’s residents ask where their money has gone, they are immediately accused of being separatists, traitors and drug users.”

Bački Petrovac municipal LSV leader Karol Verle said that Slovak children in Vojvodina tended to go to Slovakia to study and usually end up staying there.

“If Vojvodina does not receive autonomy with legislative, executive and judicial authority, our children will continue to leave, and our Vojvodina will continue to get old and fall apart,” Verle said.