“We should use past experience to strengthen Serbia”

Of course Vucic and his government allies want to be like Milos: he was a ruthless, power-hungry, greedy, illiterate "Serbian sultan". Milos was loathed more by Serbs in the principality than their former Ottoman overlords. He taxed the hell out of them and became one of Europe's richest men on the peasants blood and sweat. A typical politician/ruler, and a great comparison for Vucic et al. He also had his kum (Karadjordje) assassinated in his sleep in order to preserve his personal wealth and power hold. Kind of like the current government's betrayal of KiM, and Nikolic's betryal of Seselj!!!

"Serbians, be optimistic, ambitious, work hard and your country can reach high in the sky, don't lose your confidence and leave the past behind."

Steve, you are correct to remind us to be optimistic and ambitious, to work hard and realize that things can be better, but many of us do not believe the EU to be the appropriate vehicle for turning things around. The polls confirm this, and the recent experiences of stronger economies that are already within the EU struggling and going bankrupt back economic arguments for not entering the union. If Serbia really wants to help itself, it needs to start kicking out the corrupt lifetime politicians and party apparatchiks that funnel away a billion dollars a year from productive use to their personal and party accounts. The EU is primarily a mechanism for the northern European countries to enrich themselves, or else they never would have agreed to let in the many poorer countries, mostly those after the mid-2000s accession. Serbia will follow the path of Greece, and probably at a faster and uglier rate. Why would a sovereign country relinquish its territory (even the 4 northern municipalities) over such a gamble being played with those who have screwed it over repeatedly? You say to move on and not to dwell on the past, but those who repeat mistakes will be damned, and people without a past are only hollow and artificial.

This year's economic growth was 3% after the election of the new government. Now after the agreement with kosovo, i believe it will unlock the country's economic potential even more. I have high hopes that economic growth in 2014 can reach over 9% like it did in 2004, all economic analysts expect an unprecedented growth in economy especially when accession negotiations start. Serbia is the biggest country in the former yugoslavia. Getting the date to start the negotiations with the EU will certainly be a positive signal for the investors, both those who are already doing business in the Serbian market and those who plan to do it, this can contribute very effectively to employment in the country as well as tourism. Serbians, be optimistic, ambitious, work hard and your country can reach high in the sky, don't lose your confidence and leave the past behind.

This year's economic growth was 3% after the election of the new government. Now after the agreement with kosovo, i believe it will unlock the country's economic potential even more. I have high hopes that economic growth in 2014 can reach over 9% like it did in 2004, all economic analysts expect an unprecedented growth in economy especially when accession negotiations start. Serbia is the biggest country in the former yugoslavia. Getting the date to start the negotiations with the EU will certainly be a positive signal for the investors, both those who are already doing business in the Serbian market and those who plan to do it, this can contribute very effectively to employment in the country as well as tourism. Serbians, be optimistic, ambitious, work hard and your country can reach high in the sky, don't lose your confidence and leave the past behind.

Of course Vucic and his government allies want to be like Milos: he was a ruthless, power-hungry, greedy, illiterate "Serbian sultan". Milos was loathed more by Serbs in the principality than their former Ottoman overlords. He taxed the hell out of them and became one of Europe's richest men on the peasants blood and sweat. A typical politician/ruler, and a great comparison for Vucic et al. He also had his kum (Karadjordje) assassinated in his sleep in order to preserve his personal wealth and power hold. Kind of like the current government's betrayal of KiM, and Nikolic's betryal of Seselj!!!

"Serbians, be optimistic, ambitious, work hard and your country can reach high in the sky, don't lose your confidence and leave the past behind."

Steve, you are correct to remind us to be optimistic and ambitious, to work hard and realize that things can be better, but many of us do not believe the EU to be the appropriate vehicle for turning things around. The polls confirm this, and the recent experiences of stronger economies that are already within the EU struggling and going bankrupt back economic arguments for not entering the union. If Serbia really wants to help itself, it needs to start kicking out the corrupt lifetime politicians and party apparatchiks that funnel away a billion dollars a year from productive use to their personal and party accounts. The EU is primarily a mechanism for the northern European countries to enrich themselves, or else they never would have agreed to let in the many poorer countries, mostly those after the mid-2000s accession. Serbia will follow the path of Greece, and probably at a faster and uglier rate. Why would a sovereign country relinquish its territory (even the 4 northern municipalities) over such a gamble being played with those who have screwed it over repeatedly? You say to move on and not to dwell on the past, but those who repeat mistakes will be damned, and people without a past are only hollow and artificial.