SNS leader wants "both Kosovo and EU"

The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is ready to make a national strategy with the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) and Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC). SNS leader Tomislav Nikolic has said that the essence of his party’s program was the EU accession and territorial integrity. SNS leader wants "both Kosovo and EU" He noted that Serbia had not even had a program since the multi-party system had been introduced “because the multi-party system envisages that everybody who wants to win the elections needs to come out with their program” “Even a change of the Constitution several years ago, which allegedly had a general consent, was difficult to do even though it was clear that the Constitution should be changed,” the SNS leader stressed. Since, in his opinion, a general program, i.e. strategy does not exist, at least not when it comes to vital interest issues, Nikolic expressed Progressive’s readiness to take part in creation of such a program. “We are ready to participate in anything that would, under patronage of maybe not political parties but SANU, SPC, those who are in charge of raising moral and knowledge, and to under that patronage at least agree on what would be packed as a united program that Serbia strives toward,” Nikolic explained. He stressed that the SNS had completed all items of the program that Serbia needed, presented it to the public, adding that it contained all vital items, such as economic recovery, Kosovo, cooperation with the world, security of all citizens, reduction of all forms of corruption, bribe and crime, taking care of the rural areas and energy complex and attraction of investments. “The basic part of the program is a strong wish to get Serbia into the EU and the SNS will not give up on it and the basic wish is the fulfill what I guess every party in power in every state would strive toward and that’s to maintain the country’s integrity and independence, to maintain its wholeness and to provide for the people who are currently not under the State of Serbia’s management just as if they were,” the SNS leader stressed. When asked to comment on minor differences between Serbian political parties’ programs, he said that he had already said that programs of all parties were similar and that it was not hard to write a good program but that the difference was that some parties would not even win 50 votes while some “will win more than a million votes and their programs are very similar”. “I used to say that SNS and Democratic Party’s programs were similar but I could never say they are the same and that it is quite the same for which political party one will vote,” Nikolic. He added that it became clear after reading DS’ program that they only publicly presented good wishes but that there was a lack of realization. “Where is this better life, employment, membership in the EU, peace and stability, preservation of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia, economic recovery, investments, prevention of bribe and corruption, crime of all kinds,” the SNS leader asked. Commenting on the new declaration on Kosovo, Nikolic said that the SNS would maybe for the first time in the history of his party vote against the ruling majority even though they had always supported them when it came to the issues regarding Kosovo. “The fact that we never wanted to disturb the wish to have at least 200 MPs standing behind something that showed that we wanted to fight for Kosovo and Metohija has now been played by the government,” he pointed out. The SNS leader stated that the government had so far been united regarding Kosovo and that it had requested the opposition’s support for the proposed measures. “For the first time you don’t have a united government regarding this. There are completely off-key tones, from those who would give away Kosovo and Metohija straight away to those would only declaratively fight for it, and the DS is somewhere in between, trying to meet all interests,” Nikolic explained. He added that he no longer trusted the people from the government because they had been hiding what kind of declaration they were preparing, what kind of solutions they agreed to, not only from the public but also from their colleagues in parliament, pointing out that his party could therefore withhold their support. Tomislav Nikolic

SNS leader wants "both Kosovo and EU"

He noted that Serbia had not even had a program since the multi-party system had been introduced “because the multi-party system envisages that everybody who wants to win the elections needs to come out with their program”

“Even a change of the Constitution several years ago, which allegedly had a general consent, was difficult to do even though it was clear that the Constitution should be changed,” the SNS leader stressed.

Since, in his opinion, a general program, i.e. strategy does not exist, at least not when it comes to vital interest issues, Nikolić expressed Progressive’s readiness to take part in creation of such a program.

“We are ready to participate in anything that would, under patronage of maybe not political parties but SANU, SPC, those who are in charge of raising moral and knowledge, and to under that patronage at least agree on what would be packed as a united program that Serbia strives toward,” Nikolić explained.

He stressed that the SNS had completed all items of the program that Serbia needed, presented it to the public, adding that it contained all vital items, such as economic recovery, Kosovo, cooperation with the world, security of all citizens, reduction of all forms of corruption, bribe and crime, taking care of the rural areas and energy complex and attraction of investments.

“The basic part of the program is a strong wish to get Serbia into the EU and the SNS will not give up on it and the basic wish is the fulfill what I guess every party in power in every state would strive toward and that’s to maintain the country’s integrity and independence, to maintain its wholeness and to provide for the people who are currently not under the State of Serbia’s management just as if they were,” the SNS leader stressed.

When asked to comment on minor differences between Serbian political parties’ programs, he said that he had already said that programs of all parties were similar and that it was not hard to write a good program but that the difference was that some parties would not even win 50 votes while some “will win more than a million votes and their programs are very similar”.

“I used to say that SNS and Democratic Party’s programs were similar but I could never say they are the same and that it is quite the same for which political party one will vote,” Nikolić.

He added that it became clear after reading DS’ program that they only publicly presented good wishes but that there was a lack of realization.

“Where is this better life, employment, membership in the EU, peace and stability, preservation of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia, economic recovery, investments, prevention of bribe and corruption, crime of all kinds,” the SNS leader asked.

Commenting on the new declaration on Kosovo, Nikolić said that the SNS would maybe for the first time in the history of his party vote against the ruling majority even though they had always supported them when it came to the issues regarding Kosovo.

“The fact that we never wanted to disturb the wish to have at least 200 MPs standing behind something that showed that we wanted to fight for Kosovo and Metohija has now been played by the government,” he pointed out.

The SNS leader stated that the government had so far been united regarding Kosovo and that it had requested the opposition’s support for the proposed measures.

“For the first time you don’t have a united government regarding this. There are completely off-key tones, from those who would give away Kosovo and Metohija straight away to those would only declaratively fight for it, and the DS is somewhere in between, trying to meet all interests,” Nikolić explained.

He added that he no longer trusted the people from the government because they had been hiding what kind of declaration they were preparing, what kind of solutions they agreed to, not only from the public but also from their colleagues in parliament, pointing out that his party could therefore withhold their support.