URS wants "influence over finances" in new government

United Regions of Serbia (URS) party presidency member Verica Kalanovic says that she does not know when Serbia will have a new government. However, she noted that it did not depend on URS leader Mladjan Dinkic. URS wants "influence over finances" in new government "A new government can be formed without the URS and without Dinkic, just as previous governments that we took part in - that were not (formed without Dinkic) because we were invited," she told B92. Kalanovic, who is one of the vice presidents in the outgoing government, said during the Utisak Nedelje (Impression of the Week) talk show late on Sunday that the party and its leader "didn't offer or impose themselves before or now". She described Dinkic - who in the past 12 years served as central bank governor, and then economy and finance minister in several governments - as "one of the most capable politicians", and said many such people were present in the party, which was formed around G17 Plus. Their skill was the reason they were invited to join previous cabinets, Kalanovic suggested. In one of the meetings with the Democrats (DS), she continued, the URS was offered to join a new government but without its leader Dinkic, to which she "answered with a question": "Would the DS form a government without their candidate for PM (Boris Tadic)". She said the conversation was attended by Dinkic, DS official and Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas, and Tadic's cabinet chief Miodrag Rakic. According to Kalanovic, the URS only held official negotiations with the SPS-PUPS-JS coalition so far, but they did not discuss the distribution of portfolios in a new cabinet. Addressing media speculation that Russian officials, "but also tycoons", asked SPS leader Ivica Dacic to put together a cabinet with the Progressives (SNS) and the URS, Kalanovic said she "knew nothing about this". "I don't think either the tycoons or the Russians support Dinkic," she added. Asked to comment on the claims by Belgrade-based weekly NIN that Dinkic during an interview allegedly held a piece of paper where Dacuc had written that "Russians don't want Tadic as prime minister", she stated: "Dinkic was not showing any Dacic's notes to anyone. We mentioned only the economic program in our meeting with the SPS. Those notes of Dacic certainly don't exist". Kalanovic added that her party "will certainly not join any kind of government", and that it was ready to be the opposition "in parliament, but not to the state": "We will not enter a government where we are unable to influence public finances, because if they are conducted as they had been in the past six years then that government cannot be successful. A new government must have a new policy, especially when it comes to public finances." She added that the URS "did not know" what the situation in that sector was, as "data was not given publicly". Asked how it was possible that she as one of deputy premiers did not know the size of the state budget, Kalanovic answered: "I know the approximate value of the debt. I know that when it comes to the budget the situation is catastrophic, but I don't know the exact debt toward producers." She also asserted that G17 Plus "has had no influence on the state's finances for the past six years". London-based financial consultant Nebojsa Katic took part in the same program to say that he would "never allow Dinkic and the URS to have control over state finances": "For 12 years they have had great influence and it was bad. You cannot sit in a government for six years without agreeing with its decisions, and then consider you are not responsible for the state of public finances." He also recommended that Serbia's next government and all its members "must work as a team", and asserted it was "unthinkable in well-ordered states for governments to be as parcelized as in Serbia". Economy professor Miodrag Zec also appeared on the show to say that political parties were "political enterprises" in Serbia, "always going for the short term". "There can be no market economy with a system that does not provide chances. A system like this can only feed itself with additional debt," he said. In order for Serbia to exit the difficult situation it is in, Katic believes that it must be explained why it arrived there: "The reason why Serbia will see bigger problems is not the public debt, but the foreign debt. The bomb always comes from that direction. That's why Greece and Ireland are in trouble. Serbia must reduce import of consumer goods, and unless that is done, anything else will be just talk." Verica Kalanovic (file) B92

URS wants "influence over finances" in new government

"A new government can be formed without the URS and without Dinkić, just as previous governments that we took part in - that were not (formed without Dinkić) because we were invited," she told B92.

Kalanović, who is one of the vice presidents in the outgoing government, said during the Utisak Nedelje (Impression of the Week) talk show late on Sunday that the party and its leader "didn't offer or impose themselves before or now".

She described Dinkić - who in the past 12 years served as central bank governor, and then economy and finance minister in several governments - as "one of the most capable politicians", and said many such people were present in the party, which was formed around G17 Plus.

Their skill was the reason they were invited to join previous cabinets, Kalanović suggested.

In one of the meetings with the Democrats (DS), she continued, the URS was offered to join a new government but without its leader Dinkić, to which she "answered with a question": "Would the DS form a government without their candidate for PM (Boris Tadić)".

She said the conversation was attended by Dinkić, DS official and Belgrade Mayor Dragan Đilas, and Tadić's cabinet chief Miodrag Rakić.

According to Kalanović, the URS only held official negotiations with the SPS-PUPS-JS coalition so far, but they did not discuss the distribution of portfolios in a new cabinet.

Addressing media speculation that Russian officials, "but also tycoons", asked SPS leader Ivica Dačić to put together a cabinet with the Progressives (SNS) and the URS, Kalanović said she "knew nothing about this".

"I don't think either the tycoons or the Russians support Dinkić," she added.

Asked to comment on the claims by Belgrade-based weekly NIN that Dinkić during an interview allegedly held a piece of paper where Dačuć had written that "Russians don't want Tadić as prime minister", she stated:

"Dinkić was not showing any Dačić's notes to anyone. We mentioned only the economic program in our meeting with the SPS. Those notes of Dačić certainly don't exist".

Kalanović added that her party "will certainly not join any kind of government", and that it was ready to be the opposition "in parliament, but not to the state":

"We will not enter a government where we are unable to influence public finances, because if they are conducted as they had been in the past six years then that government cannot be successful. A new government must have a new policy, especially when it comes to public finances."

She added that the URS "did not know" what the situation in that sector was, as "data was not given publicly".

Asked how it was possible that she as one of deputy premiers did not know the size of the state budget, Kalanović answered:

"I know the approximate value of the debt. I know that when it comes to the budget the situation is catastrophic, but I don't know the exact debt toward producers."

She also asserted that G17 Plus "has had no influence on the state's finances for the past six years".

London-based financial consultant Nebojša Katić took part in the same program to say that he would "never allow Dinkić and the URS to have control over state finances":

"For 12 years they have had great influence and it was bad. You cannot sit in a government for six years without agreeing with its decisions, and then consider you are not responsible for the state of public finances."

He also recommended that Serbia's next government and all its members "must work as a team", and asserted it was "unthinkable in well-ordered states for governments to be as parcelized as in Serbia".

Economy professor Miodrag Zec also appeared on the show to say that political parties were "political enterprises" in Serbia, "always going for the short term".

"There can be no market economy with a system that does not provide chances. A system like this can only feed itself with additional debt," he said.

In order for Serbia to exit the difficult situation it is in, Katić believes that it must be explained why it arrived there:

"The reason why Serbia will see bigger problems is not the public debt, but the foreign debt. The bomb always comes from that direction. That's why Greece and Ireland are in trouble. Serbia must reduce import of consumer goods, and unless that is done, anything else will be just talk."