SPS leader Dačić warns of "red lines turning pink"

SPS leader and presidential candidate Ivica Dacic has said that Serbia must not elected its next president based on which candidate "makes more promises". "We need a president who has proved that he knows how to work for this country," Dacic, who currently serves as deputy PM and interior minister, wrote in an op-ed published by the Belgrade-based daily Blic: SPS leader Dacic warns of "red lines turning pink" "When we speak about our people, we must not tell fairy-tales. Fairy-tales are being told here, while Serbia has the highest unemployment rate and we don't know where our borders are. Ask my counter-candidates to explain where the borders that we are defending are." When it comes to Kosovo, Dacic wrote that Serbia "must clearly define what it wants": "We can't have Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija become the target of partisan bickering. A clear goal must be set, as well as the line that we are defending. We've been listening about the red line for years. That line is turning increasingly pink, increasingly pale." Addressing the issue of Serbs in regional countries, Dacic stated that "most certainly, nobody can deny Serbia the right to care about its people who live in other countries, in Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, or any other country in the world." "If the United States can have its national and state interests in the Middle East or in the Persian Gulf, how can it be that Serbia cannot have a national interest to care about our brothers located ten kilometers from us. When it comes to separatism in Serbia I must say - enough already with breaking Serbia up and tearing it apart," wrote Dacic. He also touched on the subject of EU integrations, to say that he and his party saw the European Union as "a means to a better life", and added his messages were not anti-EU, but rather patriotic: "We don't see it as a goal it itself. For that reason, our messages are not anti-European when I say that we do want the European direction, but only as long as that is in Serbia's interest." Dacic also accused "the world of finance" of being "the true enemy of our people": "We have record unemployment, recession, we are slaves to the belt-tightening principle. The true enemy of our people has no face and will not be running in the election, but it does rule. It's the world of finance - banks behaving like gangsters, financial institutions that rule our lives. They wish to create a system of unequal opportunities." For this reason, he continued, "Serbia's rebirth will be possible only if it is just". "Every nation has its soul, the soul of Serbia is equality, and we need that. The right-wing wishes to see democracy adjusted to the market, we wish to create a market that will be in the service of the common man. That is the difference between us and right-wingers." "(German Chancellor) Angela Merkel represents the right-wing. Angela Merkel's partners on our political scene are (Mladjan) Dinkic, (Tomislav) Nikolic. I do not fight to be less bad than they are, but for us to be the best," Dacic concluded. Ivica Dacic addresses a rally in Kragujevac on May 1 (Tanjug) Blic Tanjug

SPS leader Dačić warns of "red lines turning pink"

"When we speak about our people, we must not tell fairy-tales. Fairy-tales are being told here, while Serbia has the highest unemployment rate and we don't know where our borders are. Ask my counter-candidates to explain where the borders that we are defending are."

When it comes to Kosovo, Dačić wrote that Serbia "must clearly define what it wants":

"We can't have Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija become the target of partisan bickering. A clear goal must be set, as well as the line that we are defending. We've been listening about the red line for years. That line is turning increasingly pink, increasingly pale."

Addressing the issue of Serbs in regional countries, Dačić stated that "most certainly, nobody can deny Serbia the right to care about its people who live in other countries, in Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, or any other country in the world."

"If the United States can have its national and state interests in the Middle East or in the Persian Gulf, how can it be that Serbia cannot have a national interest to care about our brothers located ten kilometers from us. When it comes to separatism in Serbia I must say - enough already with breaking Serbia up and tearing it apart," wrote Dačić.

He also touched on the subject of EU integrations, to say that he and his party saw the European Union as "a means to a better life", and added his messages were not anti-EU, but rather patriotic:

"We don't see it as a goal it itself. For that reason, our messages are not anti-European when I say that we do want the European direction, but only as long as that is in Serbia's interest."

Dačić also accused "the world of finance" of being "the true enemy of our people":

"We have record unemployment, recession, we are slaves to the belt-tightening principle. The true enemy of our people has no face and will not be running in the election, but it does rule. It's the world of finance - banks behaving like gangsters, financial institutions that rule our lives. They wish to create a system of unequal opportunities."

For this reason, he continued, "Serbia's rebirth will be possible only if it is just".

"Every nation has its soul, the soul of Serbia is equality, and we need that. The right-wing wishes to see democracy adjusted to the market, we wish to create a market that will be in the service of the common man. That is the difference between us and right-wingers."

"(German Chancellor) Angela Merkel represents the right-wing. Angela Merkel's partners on our political scene are (Mlađan) Dinkić, (Tomislav) Nikolić. I do not fight to be less bad than they are, but for us to be the best," Dačić concluded.