Reforms "more important than EU membership”

Montenegro will join the EU soon after Croatia because it has an insignificantly small enough population so as not to be a drain on the EU budget but it has the beautiful Adriatic coast which Europeans love to visit along with Dalmatia.As far as Serbia is concerned the adoption of first world standards is the right thing to do regardless of whether Serbia ever becomes a full member of the EU or not.

I vote for reforms. EU can wait, especially now when many countries are questioning their decisions to be part of it.

lucky croatia, they were able to join the EU before the door is closed

If Montenegro considers that joining EU is such luck, they can join, but their kids will still go to university in Belgrade, and their citizens will still seek medical care for any serious disease in VMA or Clinical Center Belgrade.

Agreed. Serbia for the sake of her citizens needs reforms.

I believe that the Serbian government should be worrying about the welfare of their citizens by:

1) Combating corruption,

2) Providing employment for their citizens by attempting to maintain a mixed economy, not service-based (like most Western ones are), where half the economy is state-held and the other half privatised, which I believe to be optimal in maintaining the lowest level of unemployment and,

3) Creating the most attractive possible environment in terms of bureacracy and taxation in order to attract investment from the EU, US, Russia and China (the four pillars - a wise strategy by the Serbian foreign ministry).

I do not believe that Serbia should be chasing after the EU like a puppy after its master. The EU will not hold anyone's hand and everything will be just hunkey dorey once it is a member. Southern Europe/Ireland are crashing (and Slovenia is next), Poland is a big drain on the EU budget (despite utilizing funds to very good effect), Romania and Bulgaria are a complete disaster in terms of corruption and poverty and as a result of all of these, the EU is NOT enthusiastic about taking in other Balkan countries to pump billions of euros into. Sure, some people will benefit from Serbia being in the EU, most will not. Trust me, as a Pole, I know!

Serbia existed long before the EU and will long after it is gone. Serbia is its people and their welfare should be the number one concern of its leaders.

No country will join EU before 2020, not true at all, iceland is definately (if it's citizens agree) join before 2020, montenegro as well, lucky montenegro, they broke away from serbia and now have no obtacle what so ever to be in the join the EU, serbia has kosovo and it's very beautiful albanians !

Serbia has Kosovo and it's very beautiful albanians ! Robert
What about the Albanians that are not so pretty, shall we keep them out of the EU, and only accept the good looking ones? Anyway, are you saying that Serbia has Kosovo? I thought that you wanted independence? But really, it's not all that important, is it? People just want a good life, a good job, and a good future. These ethnic borders are highly over rated. If they weren't, people would stay in their own countries of origin, and not move elsewhere for a better life. So you tell me, what was more important to them, a border, or a good job and a future?

Luciano, very few Europeans visit the CG coast, it is mostly Russians. If you ever went there during the summer, you would think you were on the Volga, not the Adriatic. I am not so sure that CG is ready for the EU, they are not much different than Serbia as far as economy, corruption, judiciary, etc. It's the same people, after all.

negotiating will probably not take much time (not more than 4 years) simply because according the the EC assessments at the start, most of 35 chapters to be discussed are assessed as "No major difficulties expected" and most of serbia's laws are already in line with the EU, we just need that date !

lucky croatia, they were able to join the EU before the door is closed

No country will join EU before 2020, not true at all, iceland is definately (if it's citizens agree) join before 2020, montenegro as well, lucky montenegro, they broke away from serbia and now have no obtacle what so ever to be in the join the EU, serbia has kosovo and it's very beautiful albanians !

negotiating will probably not take much time (not more than 4 years) simply because according the the EC assessments at the start, most of 35 chapters to be discussed are assessed as "No major difficulties expected" and most of serbia's laws are already in line with the EU, we just need that date !

If Montenegro considers that joining EU is such luck, they can join, but their kids will still go to university in Belgrade, and their citizens will still seek medical care for any serious disease in VMA or Clinical Center Belgrade.

Serbia has Kosovo and it's very beautiful albanians ! Robert
What about the Albanians that are not so pretty, shall we keep them out of the EU, and only accept the good looking ones? Anyway, are you saying that Serbia has Kosovo? I thought that you wanted independence? But really, it's not all that important, is it? People just want a good life, a good job, and a good future. These ethnic borders are highly over rated. If they weren't, people would stay in their own countries of origin, and not move elsewhere for a better life. So you tell me, what was more important to them, a border, or a good job and a future?

I believe that the Serbian government should be worrying about the welfare of their citizens by:

1) Combating corruption,

2) Providing employment for their citizens by attempting to maintain a mixed economy, not service-based (like most Western ones are), where half the economy is state-held and the other half privatised, which I believe to be optimal in maintaining the lowest level of unemployment and,

3) Creating the most attractive possible environment in terms of bureacracy and taxation in order to attract investment from the EU, US, Russia and China (the four pillars - a wise strategy by the Serbian foreign ministry).

I do not believe that Serbia should be chasing after the EU like a puppy after its master. The EU will not hold anyone's hand and everything will be just hunkey dorey once it is a member. Southern Europe/Ireland are crashing (and Slovenia is next), Poland is a big drain on the EU budget (despite utilizing funds to very good effect), Romania and Bulgaria are a complete disaster in terms of corruption and poverty and as a result of all of these, the EU is NOT enthusiastic about taking in other Balkan countries to pump billions of euros into. Sure, some people will benefit from Serbia being in the EU, most will not. Trust me, as a Pole, I know!

Serbia existed long before the EU and will long after it is gone. Serbia is its people and their welfare should be the number one concern of its leaders.

Montenegro will join the EU soon after Croatia because it has an insignificantly small enough population so as not to be a drain on the EU budget but it has the beautiful Adriatic coast which Europeans love to visit along with Dalmatia.As far as Serbia is concerned the adoption of first world standards is the right thing to do regardless of whether Serbia ever becomes a full member of the EU or not.

I vote for reforms. EU can wait, especially now when many countries are questioning their decisions to be part of it.

Agreed. Serbia for the sake of her citizens needs reforms.

Luciano, very few Europeans visit the CG coast, it is mostly Russians. If you ever went there during the summer, you would think you were on the Volga, not the Adriatic. I am not so sure that CG is ready for the EU, they are not much different than Serbia as far as economy, corruption, judiciary, etc. It's the same people, after all.