Đelić warns of "quiet boycott"

Deputy PM Bozidar Djelic says the most important thing on May 11 is for the citizens to confirm Serbia's pro-European orientation. Djelic added that it was essential to resume work on five priorities—preservation of the country's integrity, Euro-integration, tackling corruption, cooperation with the Hague, and enhancing the standard of living. Djelic warns of "quiet boycott" The minister denied that part of the Democratic Party’s (DS) election campaign came down to spreading the fear that the Radicals might return to power. “I would not agree with such an appraisal, but would rather call it a responsible explanation of the ramifications of elections... On one hand, you have the policy of defending territorial integrity, through an increased presence in forums where the issue is being decided, and strengthening the economy by attracting direct investment and creating new jobs." "On the other, you have the policy of suspending European integration until European commissioners answer questions outwith their authority,” he said in an interview for the Thursday issue of daily Politika. Djelic said that “at a point when everybody is doing all they can to join the EU, Serbia would be the only one to say that, because a certain number of EU member states have done the country an injustice, it does not want to join Europe, when the fact is that we are surrounded by Europe.” “And when you know that two-thirds of our total trade is with Europe, that around 85 percent of total investment in our country comes from EU member-states, let’s just consider what the decision of the average investor is going to be when he has to choose between Romania and Bulgaria, who are EU member-states, or Serbia which is odds with the EU. The answer is very easy,” warned the minister. He said that in the event of a Serb Radical Party (SRS) victory at the elections, sanctions would not be introduced, but that there would be a “quiet boycott.” Speaking of his property situation, Djelic said that he was a Serbian tax payer and that his property situation was verifiable, legitimate and legal. “I’m one of Serbia’s most significant tax-payers. There is proof of this. I’m aware that those figures are big by the standards of our citizens, as well as of those in the West,” said the minister, reiterating that he had been the co-owner of one of the world’s largest consulting firms McKinsey and Company, and had had an annual salary of EUR 150,000. “After leaving the Zoran Zivkovic government, I became director for eastern Europe of Europe’s largest bank, Credit Agricole… My net salary was EUR 250,000 a year. Furthermore, those institutions often allow top managers to co-invest, thus encouraging managers to increase the value of the whole institution they run. That was the case with the co-investment I had with Credit Agricole in the company that owned shares in Meridijan Bank,” he explained. Djelic claimed that his employer “had given him a loan to buy shares at their market value at a given moment, with a guarantee that he would buy them back at their new market value at another given moment.” “And, of course, I sold that holding when I joined the government, and since then, I have had no market interests in this country… The authorities have documentation to corroborate all this. I’m ready for any checks that citizens would like carried out,” the minister assured. He proposed a change to the Law on Conflicts of Interest, whereby all civil servants would have to make their assets public, and added that he would like the new government to look into the assets of all senior officials. Bozidar Djelic (FoNet, archive)

Đelić warns of "quiet boycott"

The minister denied that part of the Democratic Party’s (DS) election campaign came down to spreading the fear that the Radicals might return to power.

“I would not agree with such an appraisal, but would rather call it a responsible explanation of the ramifications of elections... On one hand, you have the policy of defending territorial integrity, through an increased presence in forums where the issue is being decided, and strengthening the economy by attracting direct investment and creating new jobs."

"On the other, you have the policy of suspending European integration until European commissioners answer questions outwith their authority,” he said in an interview for the Thursday issue of daily Politika.

Đelić said that “at a point when everybody is doing all they can to join the EU, Serbia would be the only one to say that, because a certain number of EU member states have done the country an injustice, it does not want to join Europe, when the fact is that we are surrounded by Europe.”

“And when you know that two-thirds of our total trade is with Europe, that around 85 percent of total investment in our country comes from EU member-states, let’s just consider what the decision of the average investor is going to be when he has to choose between Romania and Bulgaria, who are EU member-states, or Serbia which is odds with the EU. The answer is very easy,” warned the minister.

He said that in the event of a Serb Radical Party (SRS) victory at the elections, sanctions would not be introduced, but that there would be a “quiet boycott.”

Speaking of his property situation, Đelić said that he was a Serbian tax payer and that his property situation was verifiable, legitimate and legal.

“I’m one of Serbia’s most significant tax-payers. There is proof of this. I’m aware that those figures are big by the standards of our citizens, as well as of those in the West,” said the minister, reiterating that he had been the co-owner of one of the world’s largest consulting firms McKinsey and Company, and had had an annual salary of EUR 150,000.

“After leaving the Zoran Živković government, I became director for eastern Europe of Europe’s largest bank, Credit Agricole… My net salary was EUR 250,000 a year. Furthermore, those institutions often allow top managers to co-invest, thus encouraging managers to increase the value of the whole institution they run. That was the case with the co-investment I had with Credit Agricole in the company that owned shares in Meridijan Bank,” he explained.

Đelić claimed that his employer “had given him a loan to buy shares at their market value at a given moment, with a guarantee that he would buy them back at their new market value at another given moment.”

“And, of course, I sold that holding when I joined the government, and since then, I have had no market interests in this country… The authorities have documentation to corroborate all this. I’m ready for any checks that citizens would like carried out,” the minister assured.

He proposed a change to the Law on Conflicts of Interest, whereby all civil servants would have to make their assets public, and added that he would like the new government to look into the assets of all senior officials.