Brussels: Support for pro-European bloc

These sweaty palmed Eurocrats should really mind their own business. This is interference that would not be tolerated in their own Countries and for good reason.

What a chip
marketing coming form the EU just to boost chances of Serbian pro-EU obedient parties. Hope that Serbian electorate does not fall any longer for this really cheap, filthy and obsolete strategy.

His German colleague Frank Walter Steinmeier said this might come in the shape of an offer of "scholarships in the EU countries". It seems the offers are getting smaller and smaller did the hypocrites from the EU realize they have no mandate to offer anything and its all a charade and a lot of hot air. What next will they be offering free ice cream cones to every Serb how shows loyalty to Brussels and Pristina. What planet are these EU simpletons from. "I am happy. I think we have once again demonstrated that the EU is leaning toward the Western Balkans," Solana was quoted. He meant to say leaning on the Western Balkans to get Brussels hypocritical desired results. EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, expressed great satisfaction with the meeting's results, stressing that the Union has "once again shown resolve in its intention to maintain the European perspective in all the Western Balkans countries". They are so arrogantly full of them selfs. That quite a few of its members don't agree and have to do a lot of soul searching or hold their noses to agree it sure dose stink. At the same time, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said, "this is a happy day for the European perspective of the Western Balkans". You forgot Russia I guess they think it is in Mongolia or the other states in Europe how don't agree. These elites hypocrites are so far removed from reality and common sense ,they live in their fantasy's poor Europe.

"His German colleague Frank Walter Steinmeier said this might come in the shape of an offer of "scholarships in the EU countries". "

So that the EU can brainwash Serbian students? ..... but seriously, scholarships are no big deal. In fact a dime a dozen everywhere in and out of the EU. How many can the EU offer anyway -- 100? 1000? Okay, the DS gets 1000 votes from these students. Cheap thrill! Ordinary folks on the streets in Belgrade aren't going to bite this educational bullet obviously because they don't benefit.

Just remember that offering "maximal support" may also require a more pragmatic approach to Kosovo Province. The key to ensuring a pro-EU win is to solve the Kosovo question for Serbia. This should entail a reexamination of Serbia's control, or at the very least high degree of interconnectivity, with the enclaves north and south of the Ibar. It should also entail the maximum guarantees of political and administrative autonomy of the Serb sectors apart from Pristina (all codified in AP). The EU can offer Serbia the biggest carrot available, but as long as Kosovo remains an open and festering wound, the more that instability and questionable sovereignty will translate into solid votes for SRS-DSS.

I don't think that this message is welcome. Serbia has to decide its own path without EU interference for one block or another.

I would also remind EU types of their poor record in the past ranging from their confusion on recognition of Croatia etc - to their support of Slobodan Milosevic post Dayton.

Serbians don't need baby feeding - even if some parties in Serbia treat their citizens like children. The best Europeans can now do is to shut up and simply offer signing of SAA.

Then let Serbian citizens decide.

Wow, scholarships? Fantastic! Other things the EU may generously offer:

- The pompous signing of a "memorandum of good relations", assuring the Serbian people of the EU's best wishes and a Happy Orthodox Easter, as long as they vote for the right candidates.
- A document outlining thoughts on discussions about starting negotiations about initial steps toward planning for informal preparatory talks on the minor possibility of visa relaxations for a few hand-picked Serbian citizens.
- Professional psychological assistance for displaced Kosovo Serbs, so that they can finally embrace the happy reality that their houses and other property are just fine in the hands of Albanians, really.
- The opening of "EU information centres" in all major cities, providing colourful brochures and other much-needed support.
- A few truckloads of tasty herbal remedies that can be sent to Kosovo's Serb enclaves without approval by Albanian drug-smuggling regulation authorities.

The possibilities are endless and will surely lead to a landslide victory of the "good" parties!

What a novelty;liberties, democracy and rules are for domicile houses not for the outsiders. They are to be colonized.
Back in the end of eighties, beginning of nineties, the victories of nationalistic Croatian and Slovenian parties were based on EU money + advertising campaigns. The starts of wars in former Yu were backed by EU money too. I won't be surprised if within the next month streets of Serbia are littered with pro EU adds,
but will be surprised if any of promised do realize in the time after the May elections.

Although, I've been inclined to support Tadic and G-17, I'm beginning to wonder how seriously these Eurocrats take Jeremic.

This all seems to be more about getting Serbs outside of Serbia for cheap labor than anything else. Moreover, these are in actuality just gestures not offers, and they don't seem to be very high impacting.

The E.U. treatment of Serbia is reminding me more and more of the treatment Russia recieved in the 90's. In other words, western Europe is putting hoops out in front of Serbs to jump thru and the carrots at the other end of the hoops seem to be empty.

on the contrary, monsieur bganon, the message is more than welcome. it tells the truth about eu's ambition to destroy our sovereignty, which it started with engineering kosovo's illegal secession followed with illegal recognitions. it's good for srs and dss campaigns. keep talking, eu, do more of it. personally, my favourite is mr kouchner. when this friend, or maybe there's one 'r' to many in that word? well, when this friend of the serbs speaks, i listen carefully, just to find out what's bad for us. how bout you, who's your favourite? javi? mitja? anyway the whole point of this shenanigans is to get an eu or shall we say eulex government in serbia since the eu is desperately trying to beat the clock with unmik-eulex headache. only government controlled by tadic will make sure that serbia doesn't fight back. i say. kostunica really has a sense of timing, calling elections that will install radicals for may 11 :)

Havn´t we seen this before?

The standard procedure for these desperate €Urocrats to finally get their hands on Serbia and her infrastructure is as always:

Pressure, sticks, promises treaths, more empty promises, bullying, "isolation" from the gready Borg hive and, if nothing helps and Serbs choose a non-puppet government of THEIR liking, sanctions more treaths and war.

Unless you´v got powerful democratic non-imperial bootlicking friends, that is. Serbia indeed does and should therefore see eatswards and to the whole world beyond..

The EU are panicking and in their arrogance have missjudged serbia's reaction to kosovo's illegal unilateral declaration of independence. Solana supported the bombing of yugoslavia and can not be trusted to act as an honest broker in the current difficulties. Nothing the EU says can be trusted.

Although I would prefer the pro-European bloc to win, I do think it is wrong for other governments to openly support any party. It is quite clear that the EU will not be able to work with a Radical government. Other than that no other public support should be given (behind the scenes support is somewhat different, as strategists from US, UK and Australia regularly work in the other countries election campaigns - however that is different from a direct government endorsement).

radicals all the way enough lies from the west they say they will do one thing then do another simple as that....

Remember the saying-You have to respect yourself, before wanting others to respect you!
The more Serbia grovels, the more its nose will be rubbed in the dust.
Forget Kosovo in Serbia, the next condition would be that Serbia recognize Kosovo.

Stand up like men,demand your rights and see how they running after you...
Really the gullibility/wickedness of some!

The EU foreign ministers' clumsy efforts to offer Serbian citizens "incentives" to vote a particular way will surely backfire.

Unlike those ladies and gentlemen meeting at Brdo pri Kranju, most people in Serbia are neither stupid nor naive. They know that the meaning of free elections is the right of voters to exercise their sovereign right to choose, free of interference or coercion.

Threats from abroad ("vote the wrong way and there will be dire consequences!") and foreigners offering bribes ("here's a package of nice things for you, with even nicer things to come if you vote they way we want you to") are certain only to stoke resentment among voters -- and will undermine the standing of the pro-EU parties in Serbia, by making them look like bought stooges. The main beneficiaries of these mistaken and naive "positive" gestures from Brussels will be the Radicals. I don't like what the SRS stand for, but unlike the EU foreign ministers or Tadic, at least they stand for something.

Since no one else on the forum has mentioned it so far, there is still the unsettled issue of Hague cooperation, which remains a precondition for Serbia joining the EU. If an SAA is to be signed while Mladic, Karadzic, Zupljanin and Hadzic are still enjoying their freedom, what message does that send about EU standards and values? Why should the EU reward Serbia for its failure to abide by its international obligations, while requiring it of all the other countries in the region? And does anyone -- in Brussels or in Belgrade -- really believe that there will be any war criminals arrested and put on the plane to The Hague /after/ the ink has dried on the SAA?

Rehn, Rupel, some Bulgarian guys... It's interesting to see how all these people are busy discussing the future of Serbia with great concern. It gives the impression that the future of Serbia is to be discussed with anyone in the world except the Serbs.

Now, I'm not an expert in politics but this approach looks like it failed before start. Gentlemen, wake up!

In america, if some foreign government or governments openly supported a particular presidential candidate, that candidate would be suspected of treason and would go nowhere. If those foreign governments had also bombed america within the past 20 years, that candidate would have to disappear for his or her own safety.

EU 'support' for one side in Serbia shows utmost disrespect to a democratic country and its citizens.

Such direct, open and substantive bribes by the EU can be grounds for the annulment of elections as they cannot be considered 'free and fair' when there are such substantial outside promises.

Shame on the 'EU'. No doubt it will rely on its influence in the OSCE to whitewash its bid to rig the Serbian elections.

If the EU truely respects the voter, then they will offer the same terms regardless of the citizen's vote, or they should just shut up until after the elections.

So the decision from Slovenia summit has been to send Solana-D'alema-Anthisaari and other beloved Eu politicians in Belgrad in order to boost the chances of Tadic ?
Will it works? For me that i'm against New COUNTRIES IN EU seems a perfect assist(Djorgevich-style) for the Nazionalist...

Friends Romans and country men lend me your Bushes I mean ears, For those that are not familiar with the Fable " The Pied Piper Of Hamelin " A town was plagued with rats which were spreading disease throughout the town , no matter what the officals tried to do they could not rid the town of vermin until one person took the initiative and by playing his flute throughout the town managed to have all the rats and mice follow him through out the town , he did so until he had all of them following him and promptly led them to the river where they all fell in drowned.This simple Parable has a significant meaning relative to the issues confronting the world today.
Its a pity that some countries and so called politicans fail to see the over all picture, their view is clouded and they can only see beyond their noses or their pockets which leads me to an old chinese proverb " Confucious say man with hands in pocket cannot be trusted". In summary this fiasco could have been handled by an astute bunch of children using simple logic and here we have so called Diplomats etc etc fumbling around, shaking their heads in unison and puppet like, pull one string and they all shake their heads, pull another string and they all fall down.
Solution dont be a rat

So the decision from Slovenia summit has been to send Solana-D'alema-Anthisaari and other beloved Eu politicians in Belgrad in order to boost the chances of Tadic ?
Will it works? For me that i'm against New COUNTRIES IN EU seems a perfect assist(Djorgevich-style) for the Nazionalist...

Just remember that offering "maximal support" may also require a more pragmatic approach to Kosovo Province. The key to ensuring a pro-EU win is to solve the Kosovo question for Serbia. This should entail a reexamination of Serbia's control, or at the very least high degree of interconnectivity, with the enclaves north and south of the Ibar. It should also entail the maximum guarantees of political and administrative autonomy of the Serb sectors apart from Pristina (all codified in AP). The EU can offer Serbia the biggest carrot available, but as long as Kosovo remains an open and festering wound, the more that instability and questionable sovereignty will translate into solid votes for SRS-DSS.

What a chip
marketing coming form the EU just to boost chances of Serbian pro-EU obedient parties. Hope that Serbian electorate does not fall any longer for this really cheap, filthy and obsolete strategy.

Although I would prefer the pro-European bloc to win, I do think it is wrong for other governments to openly support any party. It is quite clear that the EU will not be able to work with a Radical government. Other than that no other public support should be given (behind the scenes support is somewhat different, as strategists from US, UK and Australia regularly work in the other countries election campaigns - however that is different from a direct government endorsement).

These sweaty palmed Eurocrats should really mind their own business. This is interference that would not be tolerated in their own Countries and for good reason.

Havn´t we seen this before?

The standard procedure for these desperate €Urocrats to finally get their hands on Serbia and her infrastructure is as always:

Pressure, sticks, promises treaths, more empty promises, bullying, "isolation" from the gready Borg hive and, if nothing helps and Serbs choose a non-puppet government of THEIR liking, sanctions more treaths and war.

Unless you´v got powerful democratic non-imperial bootlicking friends, that is. Serbia indeed does and should therefore see eatswards and to the whole world beyond..

His German colleague Frank Walter Steinmeier said this might come in the shape of an offer of "scholarships in the EU countries". It seems the offers are getting smaller and smaller did the hypocrites from the EU realize they have no mandate to offer anything and its all a charade and a lot of hot air. What next will they be offering free ice cream cones to every Serb how shows loyalty to Brussels and Pristina. What planet are these EU simpletons from. "I am happy. I think we have once again demonstrated that the EU is leaning toward the Western Balkans," Solana was quoted. He meant to say leaning on the Western Balkans to get Brussels hypocritical desired results. EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, expressed great satisfaction with the meeting's results, stressing that the Union has "once again shown resolve in its intention to maintain the European perspective in all the Western Balkans countries". They are so arrogantly full of them selfs. That quite a few of its members don't agree and have to do a lot of soul searching or hold their noses to agree it sure dose stink. At the same time, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said, "this is a happy day for the European perspective of the Western Balkans". You forgot Russia I guess they think it is in Mongolia or the other states in Europe how don't agree. These elites hypocrites are so far removed from reality and common sense ,they live in their fantasy's poor Europe.

What a novelty;liberties, democracy and rules are for domicile houses not for the outsiders. They are to be colonized.
Back in the end of eighties, beginning of nineties, the victories of nationalistic Croatian and Slovenian parties were based on EU money + advertising campaigns. The starts of wars in former Yu were backed by EU money too. I won't be surprised if within the next month streets of Serbia are littered with pro EU adds,
but will be surprised if any of promised do realize in the time after the May elections.

I don't think that this message is welcome. Serbia has to decide its own path without EU interference for one block or another.

I would also remind EU types of their poor record in the past ranging from their confusion on recognition of Croatia etc - to their support of Slobodan Milosevic post Dayton.

Serbians don't need baby feeding - even if some parties in Serbia treat their citizens like children. The best Europeans can now do is to shut up and simply offer signing of SAA.

Then let Serbian citizens decide.

"His German colleague Frank Walter Steinmeier said this might come in the shape of an offer of "scholarships in the EU countries". "

So that the EU can brainwash Serbian students? ..... but seriously, scholarships are no big deal. In fact a dime a dozen everywhere in and out of the EU. How many can the EU offer anyway -- 100? 1000? Okay, the DS gets 1000 votes from these students. Cheap thrill! Ordinary folks on the streets in Belgrade aren't going to bite this educational bullet obviously because they don't benefit.

Wow, scholarships? Fantastic! Other things the EU may generously offer:

- The pompous signing of a "memorandum of good relations", assuring the Serbian people of the EU's best wishes and a Happy Orthodox Easter, as long as they vote for the right candidates.
- A document outlining thoughts on discussions about starting negotiations about initial steps toward planning for informal preparatory talks on the minor possibility of visa relaxations for a few hand-picked Serbian citizens.
- Professional psychological assistance for displaced Kosovo Serbs, so that they can finally embrace the happy reality that their houses and other property are just fine in the hands of Albanians, really.
- The opening of "EU information centres" in all major cities, providing colourful brochures and other much-needed support.
- A few truckloads of tasty herbal remedies that can be sent to Kosovo's Serb enclaves without approval by Albanian drug-smuggling regulation authorities.

The possibilities are endless and will surely lead to a landslide victory of the "good" parties!

Although, I've been inclined to support Tadic and G-17, I'm beginning to wonder how seriously these Eurocrats take Jeremic.

This all seems to be more about getting Serbs outside of Serbia for cheap labor than anything else. Moreover, these are in actuality just gestures not offers, and they don't seem to be very high impacting.

The E.U. treatment of Serbia is reminding me more and more of the treatment Russia recieved in the 90's. In other words, western Europe is putting hoops out in front of Serbs to jump thru and the carrots at the other end of the hoops seem to be empty.

on the contrary, monsieur bganon, the message is more than welcome. it tells the truth about eu's ambition to destroy our sovereignty, which it started with engineering kosovo's illegal secession followed with illegal recognitions. it's good for srs and dss campaigns. keep talking, eu, do more of it. personally, my favourite is mr kouchner. when this friend, or maybe there's one 'r' to many in that word? well, when this friend of the serbs speaks, i listen carefully, just to find out what's bad for us. how bout you, who's your favourite? javi? mitja? anyway the whole point of this shenanigans is to get an eu or shall we say eulex government in serbia since the eu is desperately trying to beat the clock with unmik-eulex headache. only government controlled by tadic will make sure that serbia doesn't fight back. i say. kostunica really has a sense of timing, calling elections that will install radicals for may 11 :)

radicals all the way enough lies from the west they say they will do one thing then do another simple as that....

The EU foreign ministers' clumsy efforts to offer Serbian citizens "incentives" to vote a particular way will surely backfire.

Unlike those ladies and gentlemen meeting at Brdo pri Kranju, most people in Serbia are neither stupid nor naive. They know that the meaning of free elections is the right of voters to exercise their sovereign right to choose, free of interference or coercion.

Threats from abroad ("vote the wrong way and there will be dire consequences!") and foreigners offering bribes ("here's a package of nice things for you, with even nicer things to come if you vote they way we want you to") are certain only to stoke resentment among voters -- and will undermine the standing of the pro-EU parties in Serbia, by making them look like bought stooges. The main beneficiaries of these mistaken and naive "positive" gestures from Brussels will be the Radicals. I don't like what the SRS stand for, but unlike the EU foreign ministers or Tadic, at least they stand for something.

Since no one else on the forum has mentioned it so far, there is still the unsettled issue of Hague cooperation, which remains a precondition for Serbia joining the EU. If an SAA is to be signed while Mladic, Karadzic, Zupljanin and Hadzic are still enjoying their freedom, what message does that send about EU standards and values? Why should the EU reward Serbia for its failure to abide by its international obligations, while requiring it of all the other countries in the region? And does anyone -- in Brussels or in Belgrade -- really believe that there will be any war criminals arrested and put on the plane to The Hague /after/ the ink has dried on the SAA?

The EU are panicking and in their arrogance have missjudged serbia's reaction to kosovo's illegal unilateral declaration of independence. Solana supported the bombing of yugoslavia and can not be trusted to act as an honest broker in the current difficulties. Nothing the EU says can be trusted.

Remember the saying-You have to respect yourself, before wanting others to respect you!
The more Serbia grovels, the more its nose will be rubbed in the dust.
Forget Kosovo in Serbia, the next condition would be that Serbia recognize Kosovo.

Stand up like men,demand your rights and see how they running after you...
Really the gullibility/wickedness of some!

EU 'support' for one side in Serbia shows utmost disrespect to a democratic country and its citizens.

Such direct, open and substantive bribes by the EU can be grounds for the annulment of elections as they cannot be considered 'free and fair' when there are such substantial outside promises.

Shame on the 'EU'. No doubt it will rely on its influence in the OSCE to whitewash its bid to rig the Serbian elections.

If the EU truely respects the voter, then they will offer the same terms regardless of the citizen's vote, or they should just shut up until after the elections.

In america, if some foreign government or governments openly supported a particular presidential candidate, that candidate would be suspected of treason and would go nowhere. If those foreign governments had also bombed america within the past 20 years, that candidate would have to disappear for his or her own safety.

Friends Romans and country men lend me your Bushes I mean ears, For those that are not familiar with the Fable " The Pied Piper Of Hamelin " A town was plagued with rats which were spreading disease throughout the town , no matter what the officals tried to do they could not rid the town of vermin until one person took the initiative and by playing his flute throughout the town managed to have all the rats and mice follow him through out the town , he did so until he had all of them following him and promptly led them to the river where they all fell in drowned.This simple Parable has a significant meaning relative to the issues confronting the world today.
Its a pity that some countries and so called politicans fail to see the over all picture, their view is clouded and they can only see beyond their noses or their pockets which leads me to an old chinese proverb " Confucious say man with hands in pocket cannot be trusted". In summary this fiasco could have been handled by an astute bunch of children using simple logic and here we have so called Diplomats etc etc fumbling around, shaking their heads in unison and puppet like, pull one string and they all shake their heads, pull another string and they all fall down.
Solution dont be a rat

Rehn, Rupel, some Bulgarian guys... It's interesting to see how all these people are busy discussing the future of Serbia with great concern. It gives the impression that the future of Serbia is to be discussed with anyone in the world except the Serbs.

Now, I'm not an expert in politics but this approach looks like it failed before start. Gentlemen, wake up!