EU is Serbia’s priority, deputy PM says

The EU is no longer Serbia’s No. 1 priority and that is a fact because the closer Belgrade gets to Moscow the further and further away it moves from Brussels. However, these are political games they all play; Serbia tells everyone that the EU is important, the EU tells the world that Serbia has to join, but both know that will never happen. Kosovo was the stumbling block during the good times in the west when money could be thrown around. Today the west is in serious trouble from the EU imploding to the US exploding as the mountain of debt grows by the hour.
The EU has little to nothing to offer Serbia except demands and ever country that is in the EU will end up sharing the burden of debt that Brussels carries now. In fact it will be worse for the ones joining soon as they will not enjoy any of the benefits that a place like Slovenia did several years ago, but end up with a share of the bill to pay.
The benefit for Serbia is that there is no more blackmail from Brussels as it was the only trump card it held – recognize Kosovo or no EU. Now it’s “who gives a hoot about the EU?” Even children in Serbia recognize the EU for what it is – a failed idea.

(Comm. Parrisson, 27 August 2012 13:55)
Regardless of what happens the EU if it survives it will be a completely different entity and that is a fact most experts in this area agree. The image of the EU is one where endless amounts of money pouring into a country that joins it, but the reality of 2012 is very different. Today debt is the biggest problem. The EU is only a Yugoslavia on a bigger scale and and look what happened to it.
I think more than 100 000 died in the wars of the 1990s, but I am a realist and can say that for the Serbs it was either fight or perish. We have managed to keep 80% of the best of the old Yugoslavia – the rest is really scraps left to the EU to support. Look at Slovenia, once seen as a mini America while part of Yugoslavia, but today it’s asking the EU for a bailout.
Yugoslavia was doomed to fail as it was propped up by Serbia. Slovenia and Croatia had better living standards to keep them in the union until they became so deluded that they were actually living of their own earnings and left. Now ask the average Slovene how he/she feels about Yugoslavia.

"Now it’s “who gives a hoot about the EU?” Even children in Serbia recognize the EU for what it is – a failed idea."
(sj, 27 August 2012 11:17)

So far, the EU is not an idea, and it didn't fail. But I know an 'idea' that has failed miserably not so long ago, with 100.000s of people killed: It was the 'idea' of Yugoslavia - I hope the children in Serbia recognized that.

Apparently every deputy PM sees a different "top priority" for Serbia. One says Kosovo, another says the economy, this one says the EU...

Slovenia and Croatia had better living standards to keep them in the union until they became so deluded that they were actually living of their own earnings and left. Now ask the average Slovene how he/she feels about Yugoslavia.
(sj, 27 August 2012 15:42)

Actually I asked my Malaysian friend who happens to be very well connected (as it is usually the case with the Malaysian friends of many posters in these forums) and she happened to have a Slovenian friend who is an average Slovenian who said that she dreams day and night about the Yugoslav paradise and hopes that she will live long enough to see Yugoslavia back and live under the same roof with Serbs - that is her dream in life; i.e. to be able to see her children live the fantastic life of the 10000 Serb children who are so privileged as to eat only one meal per day http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=07&dd=21&nav_id=81391 thus staying healthy and not getting overweight :)

The EU is no longer Serbia’s No. 1 priority and that is a fact because the closer Belgrade gets to Moscow the further and further away it moves from Brussels. However, these are political games they all play; Serbia tells everyone that the EU is important, the EU tells the world that Serbia has to join, but both know that will never happen. Kosovo was the stumbling block during the good times in the west when money could be thrown around. Today the west is in serious trouble from the EU imploding to the US exploding as the mountain of debt grows by the hour.
The EU has little to nothing to offer Serbia except demands and ever country that is in the EU will end up sharing the burden of debt that Brussels carries now. In fact it will be worse for the ones joining soon as they will not enjoy any of the benefits that a place like Slovenia did several years ago, but end up with a share of the bill to pay.
The benefit for Serbia is that there is no more blackmail from Brussels as it was the only trump card it held – recognize Kosovo or no EU. Now it’s “who gives a hoot about the EU?” Even children in Serbia recognize the EU for what it is – a failed idea.

"Now it’s “who gives a hoot about the EU?” Even children in Serbia recognize the EU for what it is – a failed idea."
(sj, 27 August 2012 11:17)

So far, the EU is not an idea, and it didn't fail. But I know an 'idea' that has failed miserably not so long ago, with 100.000s of people killed: It was the 'idea' of Yugoslavia - I hope the children in Serbia recognized that.

(Comm. Parrisson, 27 August 2012 13:55)
Regardless of what happens the EU if it survives it will be a completely different entity and that is a fact most experts in this area agree. The image of the EU is one where endless amounts of money pouring into a country that joins it, but the reality of 2012 is very different. Today debt is the biggest problem. The EU is only a Yugoslavia on a bigger scale and and look what happened to it.
I think more than 100 000 died in the wars of the 1990s, but I am a realist and can say that for the Serbs it was either fight or perish. We have managed to keep 80% of the best of the old Yugoslavia – the rest is really scraps left to the EU to support. Look at Slovenia, once seen as a mini America while part of Yugoslavia, but today it’s asking the EU for a bailout.
Yugoslavia was doomed to fail as it was propped up by Serbia. Slovenia and Croatia had better living standards to keep them in the union until they became so deluded that they were actually living of their own earnings and left. Now ask the average Slovene how he/she feels about Yugoslavia.

Apparently every deputy PM sees a different "top priority" for Serbia. One says Kosovo, another says the economy, this one says the EU...

Slovenia and Croatia had better living standards to keep them in the union until they became so deluded that they were actually living of their own earnings and left. Now ask the average Slovene how he/she feels about Yugoslavia.
(sj, 27 August 2012 15:42)

Actually I asked my Malaysian friend who happens to be very well connected (as it is usually the case with the Malaysian friends of many posters in these forums) and she happened to have a Slovenian friend who is an average Slovenian who said that she dreams day and night about the Yugoslav paradise and hopes that she will live long enough to see Yugoslavia back and live under the same roof with Serbs - that is her dream in life; i.e. to be able to see her children live the fantastic life of the 10000 Serb children who are so privileged as to eat only one meal per day http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=07&dd=21&nav_id=81391 thus staying healthy and not getting overweight :)