“PM’s position weakens, first deputy’s strengthens”

BELGRADE We have a constant weakening of the prime minister and constant strengthening of the first deputy prime minister, analyst Slobodan Antonic told B92 Wednesday. He also believes that all cabinet members who are not loyal to First Deputy Aleksandar Vucic will be dismissed if the ruling coalition decides to do a government reshuffle. “PM’s position weakens, first deputy’s strengthens” Antonic added that people chosen by President Tomislav Nikolic were always mentioned in talks about a possible government reshuffle. “We should here talk about who realistically holds the power and controls political and economic situation and that is Vucic,” he said and added that it was possible that Serbia would get a new government. “Turbulent processes are underway. (PM) Ivica Dacic had been refusing the idea of Milorad Veljovic being a police director but he accepted in the end. Even though it is a very important thing, he had to back down in his own backyard. There you can see this role reversal and shifting in relations of political power,” Antonic explained. Commenting on Dacic, Nikolic and Vucic’s meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton in Brussels, he wondered why “all three of them had to go to the meeting if Pristina representatives were not there”. “Those three men hold five state positions. They went to talk with one person, then they gave different statements and a question of credibility of a country that needs to be represented by the entire state apparatus in order to reach some agreement is raised, as well as those politicians who give different interpretations of the meeting,” the analyst pointed out. Nikolic said after the meeting that Pristina had “relented” and that an agreement would be signed on March 20 or March 28, which was later denied by Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci. Dacic also said that “no essential progress” had been made in the negotiations. “Nikolic’s statement is not incorrect but it is inappropriate and not well thought-out. If something was agreed, could not have the statement ruined the agreement? I have a feeling that this is some sort of a diplomatic gaffe and you could see the prime minister correcting the president,” Antonic said and added that he was more inclined to believe Dacic’s statement that neither side had so far relented. Speaking about Ashton’s visit to Belgrade on Thursday, he said that she should convey Pristina’s position and that he did not believe that she would bring new of a “great or any relenting of Pristina”. Dacic said earlier that it was necessary to adopt a constitutional law on powers that should be given to a community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo and that a change of the Constitution was therefore necessary. Antonic says that one should differentiate between the change of the Constitution and the constitutional law and that “if a hole is made for Kosovo in the Constitution, it can be made for Vojvodina as well”. When asked why the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) did not stand up to the change of the Constitution more forcefully, he said that he believed that the DSS “is paralyzed by expectations that it will join the ruling majority in Belgrade and expectations that elections will be held in the fall”. “There are some tacit agreements when it comes to the DSS and SNS. We should bear in mind that a party is a company for performing and winning power, there is dissatisfaction when they are not in power. I understand the desire not to ruin the relations and a possibility to come to power,” Antonic said. He believes that it will be enough to mention in media any affair involving the prime minister, even if it is not real, for early elections to be called if the SNS decides it would be good for them. The analyst added that a date for the start of the EU accession talks was an important part of the agenda. “But even without a date, if it is assessed that the party has reached its maximum and that it will be hard for it to maintain this maximum, elections will be held,” he explained. Antonic noted that the government needed to justify its decisions to back down on the Kosovo issue and a failure to get a date for the start of the EU talks because expectations were high but added that it was not crucial. “Combat against corruption is a topic that can win the election. Even Kosovo is secondary, this is a very important topic and it matters to people very much,” he concluded. (Tanjug) B92

“PM’s position weakens, first deputy’s strengthens”

Antonić added that people chosen by President Tomislav Nikolić were always mentioned in talks about a possible government reshuffle.

“We should here talk about who realistically holds the power and controls political and economic situation and that is Vučić,” he said and added that it was possible that Serbia would get a new government.

“Turbulent processes are underway. (PM) Ivica Dačić had been refusing the idea of Milorad Veljović being a police director but he accepted in the end. Even though it is a very important thing, he had to back down in his own backyard. There you can see this role reversal and shifting in relations of political power,” Antonić explained.

Commenting on Dačić, Nikolić and Vučić’s meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton in Brussels, he wondered why “all three of them had to go to the meeting if Priština representatives were not there”.

“Those three men hold five state positions. They went to talk with one person, then they gave different statements and a question of credibility of a country that needs to be represented by the entire state apparatus in order to reach some agreement is raised, as well as those politicians who give different interpretations of the meeting,” the analyst pointed out.

Nikolić said after the meeting that Priština had “relented” and that an agreement would be signed on March 20 or March 28, which was later denied by Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci.

Dačić also said that “no essential progress” had been made in the negotiations.

“Nikolić’s statement is not incorrect but it is inappropriate and not well thought-out. If something was agreed, could not have the statement ruined the agreement? I have a feeling that this is some sort of a diplomatic gaffe and you could see the prime minister correcting the president,” Antonić said and added that he was more inclined to believe Dačić’s statement that neither side had so far relented.

Speaking about Ashton’s visit to Belgrade on Thursday, he said that she should convey Priština’s position and that he did not believe that she would bring new of a “great or any relenting of Priština”.

Dačić said earlier that it was necessary to adopt a constitutional law on powers that should be given to a community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo and that a change of the Constitution was therefore necessary.

Antonić says that one should differentiate between the change of the Constitution and the constitutional law and that “if a hole is made for Kosovo in the Constitution, it can be made for Vojvodina as well”.

When asked why the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) did not stand up to the change of the Constitution more forcefully, he said that he believed that the DSS “is paralyzed by expectations that it will join the ruling majority in Belgrade and expectations that elections will be held in the fall”.

“There are some tacit agreements when it comes to the DSS and SNS. We should bear in mind that a party is a company for performing and winning power, there is dissatisfaction when they are not in power. I understand the desire not to ruin the relations and a possibility to come to power,” Antonić said.

He believes that it will be enough to mention in media any affair involving the prime minister, even if it is not real, for early elections to be called if the SNS decides it would be good for them.

The analyst added that a date for the start of the EU accession talks was an important part of the agenda.

“But even without a date, if it is assessed that the party has reached its maximum and that it will be hard for it to maintain this maximum, elections will be held,” he explained.

Antonić noted that the government needed to justify its decisions to back down on the Kosovo issue and a failure to get a date for the start of the EU talks because expectations were high but added that it was not crucial.

“Combat against corruption is a topic that can win the election. Even Kosovo is secondary, this is a very important topic and it matters to people very much,” he concluded.