Former PM lambasts “political elite”

Former Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic says that, for all their talk to the contrary, Serbia's “political elite” does not want the country to join the EU. “They do not want to enter the EU, it doesn’t pay off for them, because the EU means political responsibility,” Zivkovic told a conference in Novi Sad. Former PM lambasts “political elite” He said that political parties in Serbia were “steeped in corruption”, adding that corruption was greater now than it had been during the Milosevic regime. “Political parties have become the employment bureau for the incompetent, a place for arrogance and unseen corruption,” Zivkovic said. He said that there was no longer an opposition in Serbia, but only a political class that lived happily “in their castles,” far away from the people. The former prime minister said that politicians in Serbia had no goal or strategy for developing society, which was down to the fact that parliament “looks awful”, the Constitution was passed “overnight”, and neither it nor laws are respected. Zivkovic said that there was no free market in Serbia, but a market where “monopolies rule,” which is why people were paying the highest prices for products in all of Europe. “However, there is no more electoral fraud, because now the cheating goes on after the elections through the employment of incompetent friends and relatives,” Zivkovic said. Political analyst Zarko Paunovic said that non-governmental organizations were viewed by the state with misunderstanding and suspicion. “A real, strong democratic state cannot function without a civil society,” he told the conference organized by NGOs in Novi Sad. Danica Stefanovic, director of the Panonija NGO, said that NGOs and the whole country in general had lost their energy after the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. “After that, we lost out strength, motivation and desire,” Stefanovic lamented.

Former PM lambasts “political elite”

He said that political parties in Serbia were “steeped in corruption”, adding that corruption was greater now than it had been during the Milošević regime.

“Political parties have become the employment bureau for the incompetent, a place for arrogance and unseen corruption,” Živković said.

He said that there was no longer an opposition in Serbia, but only a political class that lived happily “in their castles,” far away from the people.

The former prime minister said that politicians in Serbia had no goal or strategy for developing society, which was down to the fact that parliament “looks awful”, the Constitution was passed “overnight”, and neither it nor laws are respected.

Živković said that there was no free market in Serbia, but a market where “monopolies rule,” which is why people were paying the highest prices for products in all of Europe.

“However, there is no more electoral fraud, because now the cheating goes on after the elections through the employment of incompetent friends and relatives,” Živković said.

Political analyst Žarko Paunović said that non-governmental organizations were viewed by the state with misunderstanding and suspicion.

“A real, strong democratic state cannot function without a civil society,” he told the conference organized by NGOs in Novi Sad.

Danica Stefanović, director of the Panonija NGO, said that NGOs and the whole country in general had lost their energy after the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić.

“After that, we lost out strength, motivation and desire,” Stefanović lamented.