Gov't officially falls Monday, elections in May

This will send a strong message to the world that Serbia will not give up Kosovo. I laugh at the young Serbs in Belgrade who want to give up their heritage and 15% of their land just so that they can travel to the west. How many days of vacation can their money last in Paris? One weekend? Or maybe, they want to emigrate to a western country. If so, they had better acquire the necessary marketable skills to find a job there. I have known dozens of Serbs who came to the us and work at the worst, low paying jobs just because they can't speak English perfectly.

To all Albanian posters who keep saying they wish the SRS or other nationalist leaders would gain power in Serbia,

JUST STOP IT ALREADY!

Your reverse psychology is a joke; do you think we are all so naïve like children?
It is your worst fear that Serbia has a strong leader that will deal with this invasion/territory grab with real measures. The future is not on your side, time is short for your illegal “independence” or should I say dependence (on your masters)?

boy oh boy, it seems that ds will mix shameless doomsday scenarios with more lies about how they fight for territorial integrity. but the bulldog spelled it all out on behalf of tadic. 'constitution is unrealistic', g17 plus said. dss and radicals neednt do anything more than play soundbites of g17 statements to create an excellent campaign.
anyway i like how this is shaping up. dss is forced to defend itself about being pro-eu, while ds is forced to defend itself about being pro-serbia! everyone should make their own conclusion about which an average serbian voter will punish.

several important points: radicals will go out and vote as they always do. a large number of ds that is, tadic supporters will not have the stomach to switch to dss or radicals, but will equally not have the stomach to vote for ds, they will stay home. this is good for the radicals because it will bring them closer to 50% plus one. radicals will definitely be the biggest winners. dss will very probably once again win enough to be able to push their own agenda. i think kostunica went for elections and not straight coalition with the radicals because he knows the result will be the same, radicals the biggest party, he in coalition with them, but that ds will be damaged, and he will take away that thing they like to talk about, 'tadic won 2.3 million votes'. well guess what, nikolic also did. plus kostunica will have more legitimacy for his policy if he makes government with radicals after elections.
as for the economy and scaremongering. i hope everyone remembers how inflations are born and raised and killed in this counry. i.e. that they are for the most part artificial. if there is an inflation now before the elections make no mistake it's been ordered from abroad, from the g17 and ds campaign headquarters, as part of scaremongering designed to make people forget about their own country, its sovereignty and fate. there are all sorts of important things in this world, but we must prioritize. no one should try and scare us into thinking that the style of our hair is more important than whether we have a head at all.

"no one should try and scare us into thinking that the style of our hair is more important than whether we have a head at all."

smile

A well thought out analysis. Bravo!

Good news coming out of Serbia.
With this current government where Tadic's and Kostunica's party clash with each other, there is no prosperity for our neighbor Serbia, so it is better that this government collapsed and I hope that in the new elections wins Kostunica or Nikolic so we see Serbia isolate herself even more. I am just joking, I would rather see Tadic win so Serbia integrates into European Union and into the reality so therefore the serb population does not suffer due to irrseponsible leaders like Kostunica.

Regardless who wins the election in Serbia, ahead are more complex outcome for Serbia and its people, but is better Tadic than radical parties,
Serbia will need at least another 10-15 years to foully comply with EC standards as it first are human rights, freedom of speech witch we did not se in Serbia .so all this transition will take time and will not be some kind of fast track as some in Serbia hope, meaning of EC integration is creating a strong society economically, politically and socially in a new world orders. Problem of Kosovo always will be strongly present in radical parties of Serbia which they always will try to use Kosovo issue for their political gains, but entering EC membership will mean that Kosovo issue will then sees to exist for democratic Serbia. Hope people of Serbia had surfed enough in hands of wrong political parties and fortune tellers since Milosevic times to present days ,and finally learned a lesson which will lead them to better and more prosper life together with all the neighbours in Balkan .
Serbia needs European Community more than EC needs Serbia.Or looking to the east side Serbia will become more like Cuba ,Byelorussia or ex eastern Europe countries under Bolshevik protection ,
So people of Serbia choice is yours for once you have to make right decision so grab it before is too late!

As a non Serb living in the UK I feel this election is the right call. Clearly a Prime Minster & a President with opposing and clashing political viewpoints will not help Srbija rebuild economically for the benefit of its people, who ultimately have to live with the consequences of whatever decisions are made on national and foreign policy.
Srbija needs a solid policy on its relationships with the EU & Russia, it policy towards Kosovo's Unilateral Declaration of independence and its effect on Serbians living in the region and Foreign and economic development policy that encourages growth and stability in a recently troubled region.
The Serbian people need to be the ones making these important decisions not foreign powers or politicians on their own agendas.
I personally would like to see a strong Srbija as part of the EU acting as an important diplomatic ally with Russia and I feel that EU funds would be vital in improving infrastructure to improve life for all Serbians regardless of heritage.

JohnBoy makes the ridiculous and ahistorical argument that Serbs have to give up their heritage and 15 percent of their land "just so that they can travel to the west." Cyprus and Ireland joined the EU without giving up on Northern Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Serbia can do the same without giving up on Kosovo.

Mr. Kostunica is right: the government of Serbia is in a deep crises. And he should add clearly, why THIS government (headed by himself!) is in deep crises: it is, because Kostunica is not working for Serbia anymore - he already started new elections! HIS final act as PRIME MINISTER is to give himself the right "national profile" for to fight other parties. great show - but who wants to be "primeministered" by the "head of crisis" for longer?
(rolerkoster, 7 March 2008 11:55)

Well. next there should be a national discussion if it is the job of a Serbian PRESIDENT to use the EU integration for to blackmail the EU on behalf of the Kosovo case. nobody in the EU will shake his hand anymore.

some democratic parties gonna have to change their horses quickly - or the radicals gonna make the race and go on the way they wanted to go with their suicide-resolution.

though harsh comments from my side, Mr. Kostunica has gained my full respect for to prove that he is a real democrat.

Zoran comments from Kosovo Albanians embracing radical party / DSS policy on Kosovo and enjoying the political crisis in Serbia, is not reverse psychology.

The fact is that extremists have always shared common beliefs. Albanians who were hell bent on separating from Serbia embraced Slobodan Milosevic, as did some fools in Serbia. The rest is history.

Moderate Kosovo Albanians on the other hand, who do not want to see Serbia driven into the ground don't mind, but would prefer a non radical / dss leader in Serbia.

So I'd say to you learn to live with it if extremist Albanians support the same political option as you do.

Still, why the opinions of Kosovo Albanians should matter to you is beyond me, this election isn't about them, its about us.

bganon, granted, i am no economist :) but i hope i did say ordered, not executed. milosevic created inflation to rob this country blind. these... and i wont use that word here after all, may try to execute inflation now in order to boost their campaign. and they are campaigning to destroy serbia. as i see it. we'll see come election night how the rest of the country feels. i do not pretend to speak for anyone except myself. i also know how people around me feel. we were all enthusiastic supporters of tadic not a month ago. that was in a different world though. even in serbia, even with our experience of milosevic and his lawlessness, i never thought i would see a president violate the constitution the way tadic is doing. to me, his behavior is incomprehensible. he ought to step down as soon as possible.
anyway why would we argue here? i think each has his own opinion and it is clear. i was raised to be a patriot in an anti-communist family. hand in hand with that went to be all things communists were not, rational, pro-west and democracy-loving. now i'm rationally, loving democracy and rule of law as ever, facing what has been done to my country and my answer is, i can't lie to myself, these are hostile acts against serbia's physical integrity. the eu has behaved like milosevic in his heyday. they are breaking the law right left and centre. if i were a french or a romanian or a german citizen after this i would be anti-eu.
i will simply never again support any party that wants to politically affiliate my country with that monster. economic ties are just fine. but nothing else.

oh smile how flawed your thinking is. Do you really think that a radical government will bring any good for Serbia, or return Kosovo? Of course you don't, so why are you so indifferent to watch the country go downhill, as it surely will. If and when it happens I will remind you of your choices, be sure of it.

Kostunica went for an election because the radicals refused him. They thought, correctly, that they stand a better chance of increasing their vote by new elections. Besides Kostunica wanted to remain PM and although DS have been too soft with him, the radicals didnt take any.

And I'm beginning to wonder about your economic knowledge. Inflation in this country is not ordered from abroad. Thats pure rubbish. What evidence do you have for that view? When did it happen before? Under Milosevic, when the printing mint was running day and night - was that ordered from abroad?

Do you even know how inflation is formed? I advise you to research it and then make accusations.

Regardless who wins the election in Serbia, ahead are more complex outcome for Serbia and its people, but is better Tadic than radical parties,
Serbia will need at least another 10-15 years to foully comply with EC standards as it first are human rights, freedom of speech witch we did not se in Serbia .so all this transition will take time and will not be some kind of fast track as some in Serbia hope, meaning of EC integration is creating a strong society economically, politically and socially in a new world orders. Problem of Kosovo always will be strongly present in radical parties of Serbia which they always will try to use Kosovo issue for their political gains, but entering EC membership will mean that Kosovo issue will then sees to exist for democratic Serbia. Hope people of Serbia had surfed enough in hands of wrong political parties and fortune tellers since Milosevic times to present days ,and finally learned a lesson which will lead them to better and more prosper life together with all the neighbours in Balkan .
Serbia needs European Community more than EC needs Serbia.Or looking to the east side Serbia will become more like Cuba ,Byelorussia or ex eastern Europe countries under Bolshevik protection ,
So people of Serbia choice is yours for once you have to make right decision so grab it before is too late!

Good news coming out of Serbia.
With this current government where Tadic's and Kostunica's party clash with each other, there is no prosperity for our neighbor Serbia, so it is better that this government collapsed and I hope that in the new elections wins Kostunica or Nikolic so we see Serbia isolate herself even more. I am just joking, I would rather see Tadic win so Serbia integrates into European Union and into the reality so therefore the serb population does not suffer due to irrseponsible leaders like Kostunica.

As a non Serb living in the UK I feel this election is the right call. Clearly a Prime Minster & a President with opposing and clashing political viewpoints will not help Srbija rebuild economically for the benefit of its people, who ultimately have to live with the consequences of whatever decisions are made on national and foreign policy.
Srbija needs a solid policy on its relationships with the EU & Russia, it policy towards Kosovo's Unilateral Declaration of independence and its effect on Serbians living in the region and Foreign and economic development policy that encourages growth and stability in a recently troubled region.
The Serbian people need to be the ones making these important decisions not foreign powers or politicians on their own agendas.
I personally would like to see a strong Srbija as part of the EU acting as an important diplomatic ally with Russia and I feel that EU funds would be vital in improving infrastructure to improve life for all Serbians regardless of heritage.

To all Albanian posters who keep saying they wish the SRS or other nationalist leaders would gain power in Serbia,

JUST STOP IT ALREADY!

Your reverse psychology is a joke; do you think we are all so naïve like children?
It is your worst fear that Serbia has a strong leader that will deal with this invasion/territory grab with real measures. The future is not on your side, time is short for your illegal “independence” or should I say dependence (on your masters)?

Mr. Kostunica is right: the government of Serbia is in a deep crises. And he should add clearly, why THIS government (headed by himself!) is in deep crises: it is, because Kostunica is not working for Serbia anymore - he already started new elections! HIS final act as PRIME MINISTER is to give himself the right "national profile" for to fight other parties. great show - but who wants to be "primeministered" by the "head of crisis" for longer?
(rolerkoster, 7 March 2008 11:55)

Well. next there should be a national discussion if it is the job of a Serbian PRESIDENT to use the EU integration for to blackmail the EU on behalf of the Kosovo case. nobody in the EU will shake his hand anymore.

some democratic parties gonna have to change their horses quickly - or the radicals gonna make the race and go on the way they wanted to go with their suicide-resolution.

though harsh comments from my side, Mr. Kostunica has gained my full respect for to prove that he is a real democrat.

oh smile how flawed your thinking is. Do you really think that a radical government will bring any good for Serbia, or return Kosovo? Of course you don't, so why are you so indifferent to watch the country go downhill, as it surely will. If and when it happens I will remind you of your choices, be sure of it.

Kostunica went for an election because the radicals refused him. They thought, correctly, that they stand a better chance of increasing their vote by new elections. Besides Kostunica wanted to remain PM and although DS have been too soft with him, the radicals didnt take any.

And I'm beginning to wonder about your economic knowledge. Inflation in this country is not ordered from abroad. Thats pure rubbish. What evidence do you have for that view? When did it happen before? Under Milosevic, when the printing mint was running day and night - was that ordered from abroad?

Do you even know how inflation is formed? I advise you to research it and then make accusations.

This will send a strong message to the world that Serbia will not give up Kosovo. I laugh at the young Serbs in Belgrade who want to give up their heritage and 15% of their land just so that they can travel to the west. How many days of vacation can their money last in Paris? One weekend? Or maybe, they want to emigrate to a western country. If so, they had better acquire the necessary marketable skills to find a job there. I have known dozens of Serbs who came to the us and work at the worst, low paying jobs just because they can't speak English perfectly.

JohnBoy makes the ridiculous and ahistorical argument that Serbs have to give up their heritage and 15 percent of their land "just so that they can travel to the west." Cyprus and Ireland joined the EU without giving up on Northern Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Serbia can do the same without giving up on Kosovo.

Zoran comments from Kosovo Albanians embracing radical party / DSS policy on Kosovo and enjoying the political crisis in Serbia, is not reverse psychology.

The fact is that extremists have always shared common beliefs. Albanians who were hell bent on separating from Serbia embraced Slobodan Milosevic, as did some fools in Serbia. The rest is history.

Moderate Kosovo Albanians on the other hand, who do not want to see Serbia driven into the ground don't mind, but would prefer a non radical / dss leader in Serbia.

So I'd say to you learn to live with it if extremist Albanians support the same political option as you do.

Still, why the opinions of Kosovo Albanians should matter to you is beyond me, this election isn't about them, its about us.

boy oh boy, it seems that ds will mix shameless doomsday scenarios with more lies about how they fight for territorial integrity. but the bulldog spelled it all out on behalf of tadic. 'constitution is unrealistic', g17 plus said. dss and radicals neednt do anything more than play soundbites of g17 statements to create an excellent campaign.
anyway i like how this is shaping up. dss is forced to defend itself about being pro-eu, while ds is forced to defend itself about being pro-serbia! everyone should make their own conclusion about which an average serbian voter will punish.

several important points: radicals will go out and vote as they always do. a large number of ds that is, tadic supporters will not have the stomach to switch to dss or radicals, but will equally not have the stomach to vote for ds, they will stay home. this is good for the radicals because it will bring them closer to 50% plus one. radicals will definitely be the biggest winners. dss will very probably once again win enough to be able to push their own agenda. i think kostunica went for elections and not straight coalition with the radicals because he knows the result will be the same, radicals the biggest party, he in coalition with them, but that ds will be damaged, and he will take away that thing they like to talk about, 'tadic won 2.3 million votes'. well guess what, nikolic also did. plus kostunica will have more legitimacy for his policy if he makes government with radicals after elections.
as for the economy and scaremongering. i hope everyone remembers how inflations are born and raised and killed in this counry. i.e. that they are for the most part artificial. if there is an inflation now before the elections make no mistake it's been ordered from abroad, from the g17 and ds campaign headquarters, as part of scaremongering designed to make people forget about their own country, its sovereignty and fate. there are all sorts of important things in this world, but we must prioritize. no one should try and scare us into thinking that the style of our hair is more important than whether we have a head at all.

"no one should try and scare us into thinking that the style of our hair is more important than whether we have a head at all."

smile

A well thought out analysis. Bravo!

bganon, granted, i am no economist :) but i hope i did say ordered, not executed. milosevic created inflation to rob this country blind. these... and i wont use that word here after all, may try to execute inflation now in order to boost their campaign. and they are campaigning to destroy serbia. as i see it. we'll see come election night how the rest of the country feels. i do not pretend to speak for anyone except myself. i also know how people around me feel. we were all enthusiastic supporters of tadic not a month ago. that was in a different world though. even in serbia, even with our experience of milosevic and his lawlessness, i never thought i would see a president violate the constitution the way tadic is doing. to me, his behavior is incomprehensible. he ought to step down as soon as possible.
anyway why would we argue here? i think each has his own opinion and it is clear. i was raised to be a patriot in an anti-communist family. hand in hand with that went to be all things communists were not, rational, pro-west and democracy-loving. now i'm rationally, loving democracy and rule of law as ever, facing what has been done to my country and my answer is, i can't lie to myself, these are hostile acts against serbia's physical integrity. the eu has behaved like milosevic in his heyday. they are breaking the law right left and centre. if i were a french or a romanian or a german citizen after this i would be anti-eu.
i will simply never again support any party that wants to politically affiliate my country with that monster. economic ties are just fine. but nothing else.