President expects SNS to back him if he decides to run again

President expects SNS to back him if he decides to run again

"I guess I'll make a decision to run (for president) again, if I do - I'll ask nothing of the media," he was quoted as saying by the Russian agency.

The interviewer asked whether he had started a campaign for the nomination, and noted that recent elections have already been overshadowed by the presidential ballot slated for 2017 - and Nikolic replied by stressing that he has been preforming his duties in office for four years now - and that the media "have not covered him to the extent he deserves, not only as the president, but everything he did so far as well."

He said that he wants to be the SNS candidate in the presidential elections if he decides to run, noting that the party was his candidate in these parliamentary elections, "I clearly and openly said it." Nikolic - who along with Aleksandar Vucic in 2008 founded the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) by separating from the Radicals (SRS), and stepped down from its helm when he became Serbia's president - also noted that, "unlike other president" he was not a party leader.

"You're asking about (government) coalitions - I do not know who will be in a coalition. Meaning, I am not leading the party. I think it is a sin to be the president of all citizens and to lead a political party, but I thought my voice should be heard, because many people believe in what I think, and I said that I want the SNS to win (April 24 elections). I expect the SNS to say - we wish Tomislav Nikolic to win. I do not see any other scenario, I cannot imagine it," said Nikolic.

When the journalist said that "people often like to say that the president is like the queen of England" Nikolic replied that the real queen is respected - whereas in Serbia the phrase alone represents "an invitation to humiliation and insults."

"I do not need to have executive power, I do not have it under the law, I cannot form a government, I do not run the government, I do not conduct internal or foreign policy, but I do leave my mark. With my authority in representing Serbia, with the fact a government can never be formed, while I am president, that would work against the principles I established in the SNS. This means some other kind of government can be formed - but then people will also want a different president," he said, and added:

"As long as people want this president, the government has to work based on these principles and they know it very well in the government, and we have no conflict at all. We work together great. I do not interfere in the executive work because it implies responsibility, and it would be rude of me not to have any responsibility, and to want to have all the power."

He then pointed out he does not crave "fame, career," but instead wants to complete his political career so that he can calmly go away knowing that Serbia is moving along "a clearly trodden path."

Nikolic said this was "his basic wish," describing as his main task making sure that foreign counterparts and officials "think at least one percent better of Serbia" after meeting with him. He also remarked that "this has been obvious over these four years - there's no country in the world any longer that would verbally attack us, let alone send its planes against us."

"Now we have a situation where the European Union condemns its member, Croatia, when it speaks ill of Serbia, an investigation is started in Kosovo and Metohija when it turns out that this interim administration in Pristina is no longer paying attention to its relationship with Serbia, but is looking to finish everything alone. It's a very difficult job. You must, while meeting a person within a day or an hour, leave an impression and almost forge a friendship - not just say you've done something and have been somewhere," he said.

"After my trips, behind the guests who come here, the door remains open for Serbia to make a lot of deals. In most cases the government uses that, and now it has a full mandate so it will be able to more seriously take advantage of all the possibilities that are provided by the direct friendship between me and the president of Russia, the president of China, many other presidents with whom there is already friendship, " Nikolic said, and singled out Vladimir Putin as the statesman with whom he has established "best friendship."