Dačić needed in cabinet "to mitigate unrest"

Dačić needed in cabinet "to mitigate unrest"

Bujošević, a former editor-in-chief of the daily Politika, was a guest on a B92 TV talk show on Tuesday when he recalled that Vučić on Monday said that his Progressives (SNS) will have the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SMV) as their coalition partner in the government, and that it was "likely" to include Dačić.

"Dačić is not the SPS. While it may seem impossible to some, I think it's a possibility, and that nobody from the SPS, and especially from the PUPS and the JS, will join the government."

According to Bujošević, such an outcome is "expected" - among other reasons because "the Russians want Dačić to be in the government, that is, to preserve the two key SPS men - Dačić and Dušan Bajatović."

"The Russians insisted, and the West did not mind," according to this journalist.

Asked whether Dačić could be the only one from his coalition to become a cabinet member, Bujošević said the SPS leader "repeatedly said that he had made many important decisions alone."

"This was the case when he supported the minority government of Vojislav Koštunica, when 95 percent of the party was against it. The same happened when he entered the government with the Democratic Party," recalled Bujošević.

As for NDS leader Boris Tadić's stance not join a government that would include the SPS, Bujošević said this was surprising, and wondered why Tadić formed his own party "if he now won't be in the government."

According to the journalist, it is "not exactly clear" what Vučić offered Dačić.

"He (Dačić) said in one TV show what he would like, but Vučić has not spoken yet. Dačić is infinitely precise in this political game, cautious and careful, walking on eggshells. He does not want to annoy Vučić at this moment, he is like a little kitty and purring. So, I do not think that he presented his wish list without Vučić."

As for what interest binds Vučić and Dačić together, Bujošević said:

"Vučić assumes that reforms will be 'painful' and that he will need to have someone around who will be able to mitigate some social unrest and revolt, if they occur. Dačić's electorate is similar to that of Vučić, and precisely this body will be the most affected by reforms. So Vučić needs to Dačić to put out social unrest, if any occurs. And that is Vučić's key interest in having Dačić in his government, and that carries more weight than the Russians telling him they want Dačić in the government because of Srbijagas."

In this regard, the journalist added, the issue of continued negotiations with Kosovo "is not so exclusive - especially because everything around the Brussels agreement went so quietly."

"Their voters did not complain then, and will not now, and I do not believe that something spectacularly irritating to the public opinion will happen," said Bujošević.