Jeremić voices strong criticism of U.S., EU

""Relations between Serbia and some EU members are jeopardized and I cannot see how we could accelerate our efforts toward Europe," Jeremić said, in the first comment of the kind coming from his party."

This is the worst thing that has resulted from this catastrophe over Kosovo. I attended Tadic's post-election victory in Terazije and the mood of the people on the street was jubiliant. They were flying EU flags along with DS and Serbian flags, and there was a genuine sense that a major hurdle was passed. Tadic's victory was seen as Serbia's assured route to the EU, and a sense that the EU, in backing Tadic, would cut some sort of deal with him over Kosovo - possibly sending the EU mission to Kosovo without a formal recognition. Either way, Serbs felt they had done their part, and the time for EU negotiations was at hand.

Less than 48 hours later that mood completely changed with the EU saying it would set up a Mission and gave Thaci the greenlight to go ahead with a UDI. If elections were held today, Nikolic would have easily won.

The student rally I attended on Monday was telling. 10 years ago Serb students were flying American, British, German, and EU flags, and chanting "Beograd je cvet". Monday, there were only Serb flags, with people chanting, among other things, "Ziveli Rusija" and "Hvala Maijka Rusija". This was not a rally of ultranationalists. This was students and faculty members of Belgrade University, the same organ that helped bring down Milosevic.

There is such a feeling of dissapointment here: a sense of betrayal, and a severe loss in confidence in EU institutions. Jeremic is absolutely right when he says that relations between Belgrade and Brussels are now strained. Serbia has taken a major lurch towards Russia, and the nationalists now feel vindicated that what they've been saying all along has come to fruition. This so-called "Serb nationalism" that everyone seems to think is a genetic trait, has been largely cultivated and nurtured by years of exogenous pressures and interferences.

This has less to do with Kosovo as the medieval heartland of Serbia, than with a significant drop in confidence in international law and subjective arbitration.

Brilliant, brilliant speech. If Mr Jeremic is representative of the rising generation of Serb politicians, then Serbia is in good hands.

It's Serbian politicians that put Serbia in this position. Instead of recognizing that Milosevic was responsible for losing Kosovo, they continue on towards a path that can only hurt Serbia. The Serbian people better recognize reality and look out for themselves.

It may be a good thing for Serbia that no one is genuenly paying any attention to the statements that Jeremic is making left and right - for if they deed - it would affect the way the rest of the world views this country - if it hasn't already!
Serbia needs to move on, like Ceda Jovanovic mentioned in his address to the Serbian Parliament yesterday, you can't ignore international law and human rights for over a decade and then claim to be the bastion of these principles!
All this empty turn of the centry nationalist rethoric is only harming Serbia and no one else! Nothing will bring back Kosovo to Serbia because the Albanians wont stand for it and you can't force people into unions in this day and age. If Serbia had followed a different more amiable policy towards Kosovan Albanians - maybe their argument wouldn't have been so strong as it is today. Where were the rational/moderate/European Serbs to protest against their government when it was committing crimes in Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia? The international community is not blind, which is why no one has any sympathy for Serbia today! Even those countries that are not willing to recognize Kosovo's independence are not doing so because of their own internal issues.
Is time for change - you're starting to resamble Belorussia! Move on! Get a grip of reality and stop poisioning your youth with nationalist farrytails - the future belonds to reason and tolarance and this is what Serbs should embrace!

Seeing his picture I thought he is going to cry again, get emotional. Well it helped Hillary few weeks ago but not him. Instead of going to Brussels to insult the West he should visite Moscow or Minsk to be among "amigos".

Only the God knows for sure wnat is really good for Serbia to be a raped EU member with its lands included into 3 other states or be united with gaining strength Russia with the old brotherhood revived !

What has surprised me was President Tadich's behaviour ! He has showed himself a real Serb but not an agent of Western influence. Serbs were the only nation in Europe to resist the Germans in 1941-42 and I believe they has not changed much ever since.

C'mon Mike. You make it sound like the declaration of independence was a surprise to the people. Like, all of a sudden, they turn on the US and EU. The media has been talking about it non-stop for months. Get real. Cool the radical rhetoric.

it`s a disaster for the region .romanian.god be with you

Nick Kvocka,

Thanks for telling the truth.
According to Mike the Serbs changed overnight from US/EU lovers to US/EU haters. Wow! What a quick transformation....nothing further from the truth.
And if they are so fond of Maijka Rusija let them experience her embrace. Let them see how far they get economically. They are not ready for the EU anyway.

@Andi

"Where were the rational/moderate/European Serbs to protest against their government when it was committing crimes in Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia?"

On the streets of Belgrade Andi. I was one of them. Thousands and thousands of us were protesting against Milosevic' rule from 9.3.91 onwards. Is it possible that you don't know how much and how many Serbs loudly opposed policies of Milosevic? I would like to think that such strong opposition within Serbia discouraged Milosevic to go into an all out and even more devastating war . We most certainly did not sit quiet! Also, don't forget that hundreds of thousands of Serbs fled the country through nineties as a result of his rule.
Eventually we got rid of him and it was us, Serbs on the streets of Serb cities who have done it, not US, EU or somebody else. Then we dispatched him to Hague and now he is dead. I think we deserve a little bit of credit for that, don't you?
Now think about what the present solution for Kosovo and especially the way it was done are doing for the cause of people like Jeremic and Tadic who are promoting liberal and democratic Serbia. Not awfully helpful, eh? My point exactly. With a little bit of sensitivity this whole thing could have been wrapped up in a way that will not inflict such a humiliation to Serbia. I think we should all be wary of developments in Serbia- history tells us when nation is so humiliated it can create quite undesirable consequences. I don't think that was necessary much less helpful to anyone's cause.

The way I see this situation is that Serbia are keen to join the European community and have done everything required of them including co-operating with the Hague. But as always the EU and US always want more and when they try to black mail Serbia with their own territory for membership I think that is where they have crossed the line. I believe Serbia should be applauded for have being able to put up with them for so long and to negotiate so civilly for such a time only to be ultimately stabbed in the back once again. It has come time to forget about the EU and look towards nations that respect international law and Serbian sovereignty such as the very soon to be world superpower China and the ever resurgent Russia.

Jeremicu,you can't ignore international law and human rights for over a decade and then claim to be the bastion of these principles! Do not forget that!Or maybe you are declaing something you don't believe yorself,do you?
You'd better resign!

I really do not have anything against Kosovo Albanians but I am deeply amazed how the U.S. and many EU countries (among those also my country: Italy) are delegitimizing the UN. The independence of Kosovo is simply NOT legal and this should be said clearly by everybody, first of all by the General Secretar of UN.

Dave: Betting on Russia and China to become superpowers wouldn't do much good to Serbia. Serbia's future is in the European community - I hate to think what will happen to civil liberties in Serbia if they mold themselves after Russia and China - who are clearly not the superstars of human rights and democracy and wont be in the near future as things are moving. But to all those who think that way: good luck! You'll need it.

@Aleksandr

I couldn't agree more with you Aleksandr, although addmitably, it all came a bit too late after all the damage was done - but none the less it was done and yes that democratic liberal force that took him to the Hague deserves all the credit. However - getting rid of one person and reshaping the political and social structures of society are two different thing. Dzindzic was a brain that understood this, perhapse that's why the radicals found him intimidating - because he wanted a genuine change in Serbia not just a pretend one the kind Kostunica and Jeremic try to portray! There is a huge difference between substance and posterity. What did the Serbs expect from the Kosovan Albanians? To go back to Berlgrade with gifts? Where was the sense of reality? Serbia should have accepted the Athisari plan for the sake of the Serbs that live in Kosovo so that they can have a better future there - it seems to me though that Belgrade is more consered with trivial ideas of reputation/humiliation and such triffles rather than the well being of its people which is ough to be the primery concern of any government.
On the unilateral declaration: was it right: No. Is it a reality: Yes. Will all the hulaginsm in the streets of Belgrade and the border points coupled by endless speaches of Jeremic and Tadic and Kostunica change anything: No.

Nick and Joe,

Nowhere in my comment did I say that Serb public opinion shifted overnight from pro-EU to anti-EU. However, I did say that there is a large level of frustration and disappointment at what many thought would happen with a Tadic victory - at the very least some sort of deal cut or some kind of imposed solution outside a UDI. The anger is generated less by a sense of outright nationalism than a belief that international law was sidelined for the interests of a few powerful states.

Recently, Mr. Vuk Jeremic was a physics graduate at Cambridge University, UK and later on student of Harvard John Kennedy School of Government. Not many mature and respected poleticians in EU can claim this. Definetely, he is not stupid, and by this talk he has also shown not to have evil soul. I think, that would be enough to expect from a poor kid coming from the country that 90% of Globe world wants to suffocate. Thank you for consideration of my note.

@Andi

It came a bit too late? What were we supposed to do Andi- kill Milosevic pre-emptively? We went through a political process as any civilized nation would, when it did not work we disposed of him by force in much shorter timeframe I might add than it took other countries in similar situations in the past to deal with their tyrants. All along we strongly showed our displeasure with his rule in the face of what wasn't really the most democratic of governments!

"However - getting rid of one person and reshaping the political and social structures of society are two different thing"

Glad you said that. That is my whole point. There is a political process going on in Serbia now that is in grave danger because liberal forces are going to be marginalized as a result of a the way the whole Kosovo saga was played out. I can appreciate that you don't necessarily care what are the consequences of Serbian coming to terms with the loss of Kosovo but unsettled Serbia unfortunately produces some tangible risks to the stability of the whole region which is the circle we all want to get out of. All I am saying is that the way the final solution is formulated and imposed on Serbia it was unnecessarily cruel and blunt.

For it is not Jeremic and Tadic who are pondering loss of dignity etc, it is a real feeling amongst Serbian people that somebody could easily take advantage of for his sinister goals. Same way Milosevic did in 1989.

Serbs for long time now do not expect any presents from anybody. However a little bit of sensitivity for the sake of common goal- reconciliation in the region and future prosperity would not hurt. Format of this forum does not really allow me to elaborate how the process should have been carried out but I hope that I got my point across.

PS FYI Jeremic and Kostunica are like day and night- I would not even put them in the same sentence.

Best.

It's Serbian politicians that put Serbia in this position. Instead of recognizing that Milosevic was responsible for losing Kosovo, they continue on towards a path that can only hurt Serbia. The Serbian people better recognize reality and look out for themselves.

Seeing his picture I thought he is going to cry again, get emotional. Well it helped Hillary few weeks ago but not him. Instead of going to Brussels to insult the West he should visite Moscow or Minsk to be among "amigos".

It may be a good thing for Serbia that no one is genuenly paying any attention to the statements that Jeremic is making left and right - for if they deed - it would affect the way the rest of the world views this country - if it hasn't already!
Serbia needs to move on, like Ceda Jovanovic mentioned in his address to the Serbian Parliament yesterday, you can't ignore international law and human rights for over a decade and then claim to be the bastion of these principles!
All this empty turn of the centry nationalist rethoric is only harming Serbia and no one else! Nothing will bring back Kosovo to Serbia because the Albanians wont stand for it and you can't force people into unions in this day and age. If Serbia had followed a different more amiable policy towards Kosovan Albanians - maybe their argument wouldn't have been so strong as it is today. Where were the rational/moderate/European Serbs to protest against their government when it was committing crimes in Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia? The international community is not blind, which is why no one has any sympathy for Serbia today! Even those countries that are not willing to recognize Kosovo's independence are not doing so because of their own internal issues.
Is time for change - you're starting to resamble Belorussia! Move on! Get a grip of reality and stop poisioning your youth with nationalist farrytails - the future belonds to reason and tolarance and this is what Serbs should embrace!

it`s a disaster for the region .romanian.god be with you

Brilliant, brilliant speech. If Mr Jeremic is representative of the rising generation of Serb politicians, then Serbia is in good hands.

""Relations between Serbia and some EU members are jeopardized and I cannot see how we could accelerate our efforts toward Europe," Jeremić said, in the first comment of the kind coming from his party."

This is the worst thing that has resulted from this catastrophe over Kosovo. I attended Tadic's post-election victory in Terazije and the mood of the people on the street was jubiliant. They were flying EU flags along with DS and Serbian flags, and there was a genuine sense that a major hurdle was passed. Tadic's victory was seen as Serbia's assured route to the EU, and a sense that the EU, in backing Tadic, would cut some sort of deal with him over Kosovo - possibly sending the EU mission to Kosovo without a formal recognition. Either way, Serbs felt they had done their part, and the time for EU negotiations was at hand.

Less than 48 hours later that mood completely changed with the EU saying it would set up a Mission and gave Thaci the greenlight to go ahead with a UDI. If elections were held today, Nikolic would have easily won.

The student rally I attended on Monday was telling. 10 years ago Serb students were flying American, British, German, and EU flags, and chanting "Beograd je cvet". Monday, there were only Serb flags, with people chanting, among other things, "Ziveli Rusija" and "Hvala Maijka Rusija". This was not a rally of ultranationalists. This was students and faculty members of Belgrade University, the same organ that helped bring down Milosevic.

There is such a feeling of dissapointment here: a sense of betrayal, and a severe loss in confidence in EU institutions. Jeremic is absolutely right when he says that relations between Belgrade and Brussels are now strained. Serbia has taken a major lurch towards Russia, and the nationalists now feel vindicated that what they've been saying all along has come to fruition. This so-called "Serb nationalism" that everyone seems to think is a genetic trait, has been largely cultivated and nurtured by years of exogenous pressures and interferences.

This has less to do with Kosovo as the medieval heartland of Serbia, than with a significant drop in confidence in international law and subjective arbitration.

Only the God knows for sure wnat is really good for Serbia to be a raped EU member with its lands included into 3 other states or be united with gaining strength Russia with the old brotherhood revived !

What has surprised me was President Tadich's behaviour ! He has showed himself a real Serb but not an agent of Western influence. Serbs were the only nation in Europe to resist the Germans in 1941-42 and I believe they has not changed much ever since.

C'mon Mike. You make it sound like the declaration of independence was a surprise to the people. Like, all of a sudden, they turn on the US and EU. The media has been talking about it non-stop for months. Get real. Cool the radical rhetoric.

Jeremicu,you can't ignore international law and human rights for over a decade and then claim to be the bastion of these principles! Do not forget that!Or maybe you are declaing something you don't believe yorself,do you?
You'd better resign!

Dave: Betting on Russia and China to become superpowers wouldn't do much good to Serbia. Serbia's future is in the European community - I hate to think what will happen to civil liberties in Serbia if they mold themselves after Russia and China - who are clearly not the superstars of human rights and democracy and wont be in the near future as things are moving. But to all those who think that way: good luck! You'll need it.

Nick Kvocka,

Thanks for telling the truth.
According to Mike the Serbs changed overnight from US/EU lovers to US/EU haters. Wow! What a quick transformation....nothing further from the truth.
And if they are so fond of Maijka Rusija let them experience her embrace. Let them see how far they get economically. They are not ready for the EU anyway.

@Andi

"Where were the rational/moderate/European Serbs to protest against their government when it was committing crimes in Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia?"

On the streets of Belgrade Andi. I was one of them. Thousands and thousands of us were protesting against Milosevic' rule from 9.3.91 onwards. Is it possible that you don't know how much and how many Serbs loudly opposed policies of Milosevic? I would like to think that such strong opposition within Serbia discouraged Milosevic to go into an all out and even more devastating war . We most certainly did not sit quiet! Also, don't forget that hundreds of thousands of Serbs fled the country through nineties as a result of his rule.
Eventually we got rid of him and it was us, Serbs on the streets of Serb cities who have done it, not US, EU or somebody else. Then we dispatched him to Hague and now he is dead. I think we deserve a little bit of credit for that, don't you?
Now think about what the present solution for Kosovo and especially the way it was done are doing for the cause of people like Jeremic and Tadic who are promoting liberal and democratic Serbia. Not awfully helpful, eh? My point exactly. With a little bit of sensitivity this whole thing could have been wrapped up in a way that will not inflict such a humiliation to Serbia. I think we should all be wary of developments in Serbia- history tells us when nation is so humiliated it can create quite undesirable consequences. I don't think that was necessary much less helpful to anyone's cause.

The way I see this situation is that Serbia are keen to join the European community and have done everything required of them including co-operating with the Hague. But as always the EU and US always want more and when they try to black mail Serbia with their own territory for membership I think that is where they have crossed the line. I believe Serbia should be applauded for have being able to put up with them for so long and to negotiate so civilly for such a time only to be ultimately stabbed in the back once again. It has come time to forget about the EU and look towards nations that respect international law and Serbian sovereignty such as the very soon to be world superpower China and the ever resurgent Russia.

I really do not have anything against Kosovo Albanians but I am deeply amazed how the U.S. and many EU countries (among those also my country: Italy) are delegitimizing the UN. The independence of Kosovo is simply NOT legal and this should be said clearly by everybody, first of all by the General Secretar of UN.

@Aleksandr

I couldn't agree more with you Aleksandr, although addmitably, it all came a bit too late after all the damage was done - but none the less it was done and yes that democratic liberal force that took him to the Hague deserves all the credit. However - getting rid of one person and reshaping the political and social structures of society are two different thing. Dzindzic was a brain that understood this, perhapse that's why the radicals found him intimidating - because he wanted a genuine change in Serbia not just a pretend one the kind Kostunica and Jeremic try to portray! There is a huge difference between substance and posterity. What did the Serbs expect from the Kosovan Albanians? To go back to Berlgrade with gifts? Where was the sense of reality? Serbia should have accepted the Athisari plan for the sake of the Serbs that live in Kosovo so that they can have a better future there - it seems to me though that Belgrade is more consered with trivial ideas of reputation/humiliation and such triffles rather than the well being of its people which is ough to be the primery concern of any government.
On the unilateral declaration: was it right: No. Is it a reality: Yes. Will all the hulaginsm in the streets of Belgrade and the border points coupled by endless speaches of Jeremic and Tadic and Kostunica change anything: No.

Nick and Joe,

Nowhere in my comment did I say that Serb public opinion shifted overnight from pro-EU to anti-EU. However, I did say that there is a large level of frustration and disappointment at what many thought would happen with a Tadic victory - at the very least some sort of deal cut or some kind of imposed solution outside a UDI. The anger is generated less by a sense of outright nationalism than a belief that international law was sidelined for the interests of a few powerful states.

Recently, Mr. Vuk Jeremic was a physics graduate at Cambridge University, UK and later on student of Harvard John Kennedy School of Government. Not many mature and respected poleticians in EU can claim this. Definetely, he is not stupid, and by this talk he has also shown not to have evil soul. I think, that would be enough to expect from a poor kid coming from the country that 90% of Globe world wants to suffocate. Thank you for consideration of my note.

@Andi

It came a bit too late? What were we supposed to do Andi- kill Milosevic pre-emptively? We went through a political process as any civilized nation would, when it did not work we disposed of him by force in much shorter timeframe I might add than it took other countries in similar situations in the past to deal with their tyrants. All along we strongly showed our displeasure with his rule in the face of what wasn't really the most democratic of governments!

"However - getting rid of one person and reshaping the political and social structures of society are two different thing"

Glad you said that. That is my whole point. There is a political process going on in Serbia now that is in grave danger because liberal forces are going to be marginalized as a result of a the way the whole Kosovo saga was played out. I can appreciate that you don't necessarily care what are the consequences of Serbian coming to terms with the loss of Kosovo but unsettled Serbia unfortunately produces some tangible risks to the stability of the whole region which is the circle we all want to get out of. All I am saying is that the way the final solution is formulated and imposed on Serbia it was unnecessarily cruel and blunt.

For it is not Jeremic and Tadic who are pondering loss of dignity etc, it is a real feeling amongst Serbian people that somebody could easily take advantage of for his sinister goals. Same way Milosevic did in 1989.

Serbs for long time now do not expect any presents from anybody. However a little bit of sensitivity for the sake of common goal- reconciliation in the region and future prosperity would not hurt. Format of this forum does not really allow me to elaborate how the process should have been carried out but I hope that I got my point across.

PS FYI Jeremic and Kostunica are like day and night- I would not even put them in the same sentence.

Best.