"Kosovo no priority for government"

DSS deputy president Dragan Jocic believes that the ruling majority has put EU integrations above all state interests. The former interior minister, currently recovering from a car crash that seriously injured him in January, told the daily Vecernje Novosti in an interview published on Wednesday that this course taken by the government stands contrary to what Serbians voted for. "Kosovo no priority for government" In the May election, Jocic continued, those parties that advocated the defense of Kosovo and national interests won, not those who saw EU integrations as a priority. "The coalition of parties around the SPS [Socialist Party of Serbia] has forgotten its own campaign program and went on to forge a coalition with the For a European Serbia ticket. Thus, Serbia got a government that not a single citizen had voted for," he said, and explained that in this way, the will of the citizens was betrayed, because they now have a government based on personal and narrow partisan interests. According to Jocic, it is clearly visible that the EU planned, and is working systematically to achieve Kosovo's independence, since it sent the EULEX mission to the province – the mission which is a part of the rejected Ahtisaari plan. "That same mission was found to be directly endangering Serbia's national interest during the tenure of the previous government, while this now government says the same mission can come to Kosovo. It would appear that the authorities are looking for the most suitable smokescreen to give up on Kosovo for the sake of European integrations," Jocic told the newspaper. “Serbia needs to defend her national and state interests which are presently in conflict with the European Union on the issue of Kosovo. Every nation and state has to defend itself first and that is the road Serbia also must to take," Jocic said. “We must not deceive ourselves that Serbia does not have an open dispute with the EU regarding Kosovo, because self-deception is the most dangerous,” he continued. Asked why the DSS won fewer votes than expected in the last elections, Jocic said his party adopted a clearly defined policy of defense of state and national interests and that this policy will never be traded for appealing demagoguery, aimed at securing better results in the polls.

"Kosovo no priority for government"

In the May election, Jočić continued, those parties that advocated the defense of Kosovo and national interests won, not those who saw EU integrations as a priority.

"The coalition of parties around the SPS [Socialist Party of Serbia] has forgotten its own campaign program and went on to forge a coalition with the For a European Serbia ticket. Thus, Serbia got a government that not a single citizen had voted for," he said, and explained that in this way, the will of the citizens was betrayed, because they now have a government based on personal and narrow partisan interests.

According to Jočić, it is clearly visible that the EU planned, and is working systematically to achieve Kosovo's independence, since it sent the EULEX mission to the province – the mission which is a part of the rejected Ahtisaari plan.

"That same mission was found to be directly endangering Serbia's national interest during the tenure of the previous government, while this now government says the same mission can come to Kosovo. It would appear that the authorities are looking for the most suitable smokescreen to give up on Kosovo for the sake of European integrations," Jočić told the newspaper.

“Serbia needs to defend her national and state interests which are presently in conflict with the European Union on the issue of Kosovo. Every nation and state has to defend itself first and that is the road Serbia also must to take," Jočić said.

“We must not deceive ourselves that Serbia does not have an open dispute with the EU regarding Kosovo, because self-deception is the most dangerous,” he continued.

Asked why the DSS won fewer votes than expected in the last elections, Jočić said his party adopted a clearly defined policy of defense of state and national interests and that this policy will never be traded for appealing demagoguery, aimed at securing better results in the polls.