DS leader pushes for NATO membership, same-sex marriage

DS leader pushes for NATO membership, same-sex marriage

In a letter sent to DS members, Pajtic points out that the upcoming party elections may be the last opportunity to stop "the disintegration," and proposes that they state their position on "the four key issues."

Namely, Pajtic believes that the DS should stand for Serbia's membership in NATO as well as "a strong Democratic Party," a legally regulated status of same-sex marriages, and the inclusion of trade unions in the work of the party.

"We have seen in recent weeks how fast the regime can make a turn from a European policy towards Russia. Serbia's policy of sitting on two chairs has already gone on for too long, a policy that leads to ruin and devours decades of people's lives in these regions," Pajtic said in his letter.

As he pointed out, the Democrats were also "not immune to the delusion that country this small can afford the luxury of balancing between the East and the West."

"The Democratic Party must make a step forward that is not popular, but if Serbia made such a step forward 20 years ago, there would have been no wars and the bombing of this country, the EU integration process would have been accelerated and citizens protected from foreign policy adventurism of the authorities, the consequences of which we feel to this day. Therefore, the DS need to stand for Serbia's NATO entry. We are not 'the East to the West and the West to the East,' we are a country with seven million inhabitants, exhausted from the constant, one and the same defeats," said Pajtic.

As the next key topic, Pajtic spoke about "the disunity of the democratic opposition." Therefore, he thinks the upcoming DS party elections must be used "to seek membership's support for a reintegration of all that was democratic."

Pajtic believes that the DS is under obligation to confront prejudices and discrimination of any kind, and therefore asks that the status of same-sex unions be legally regulated and equalized with marriage and common-law marriage in this country.

Also, Pajtic noted that Serbia does not have a strong trade union movement nor "its own Lech Walesa" - and that, since there is no strong historical connection between the party and trade unions, "precisely in collaboration with them, we are working together on activism among workers in Serbia."

The DS leader announced in his letter that he decided to, on the day of the election of the party's leadership, pose questions to its members regarding these four topics.