Ex-minister again accuses Vučić of blocking reforms

Ex-minister again accuses Vučić of blocking reforms

The three were guests in B92 TV's Impression of the Week ("Utisak Nedelje") talk show late on Sunday.

Stefanović said that "people in Serbia expect speedier changes, and that people from abroad say they now find it far easier to invest in Serbia."

On the other hand, Ćulibrk noted that he had been "listening to stories about reforms since the days of (Yugoslav PM) Ante Marković," and that although he hoped they would happen, he was "afraid they would not."

Radulović, who joined the government during the September reshuffle, reiterated that he stepped down because he did not believe that Deputy PM and SNS leader Aleksandar Vučić would implement any reforms.

"What I wanted to do and planned to do was featured in the prime minister's keynote as well. After 15 days I realized that there was no desire to do that, and that a different direction was taken. I realized that economic policy was conducted in the cabinet of the first deputy prime minister, that deals were made there, that there was no desire to work transparently," Radulović said.

Asked who he had in mind when he spoke about "the cabinet of the first deputy prime minister," he replied that he "primarily referred to Aleksandar Vučić."

Nebojša Stefanović reacted to this to say that "when we talk about reforms, they do not exist only for those who do not wish to see them."

"These are not just my words, this was also said by the European Commission. Radulović at one point wanted to become a politician, and that's fine. I do not think that all his ideas are bad. Some are good, but there were no results. I think no one in Serbia thinks that Vučić is hindering reforms," said Stefanović.

Radulović then stated that "already during the adoption of the budget it turned out that there were no reforms."

"The budget is unrealistic, revenues are unrealistic, we counted on three billion from the Arabs, without any paper. After 15 days I saw that there was no will to change a parasitic system at the center of which are political parties employing their own people. A parasitic system suits slackers and ignorant people," Radulović said.

He added that despite all this he did not leave the government "because he wanted to do some things, such as preventing the sale of Vršac Vineyards." According to this former minister, contracts signed with Etihad and Fiat, which have been declared secret, are "harmful for Serbia."

"You cannot introduce investors to Jat (Airways) without making an inventory of property. Only once the inventory and appraisals have been made, can a contract be made, not before that. Something worth a lot more is given away for next to nothing," he said.

Stefanović, however, criticized Radulović "for not bringing in any investors."

He added that Radulović "may be a good blogger, a theorist critic, but does not seem to have been as good in his role as minister."

Radulović said that trade union protests were organized by the order of the parties of the ruling coalition, especially the SNS.

Stefanović reacted by describing the accusation as "nonsense" and adding that nobody had organized the arrival of people to trade union protests.