President: EU is priority but not at all costs

Go and take it...if you have guts!
(EA, 28 August 2012 09:43)

Acting tough on someone else's dime and strength. You people have earned nothing for yourselves yet act as if you are a physical threat to the state of Serbia.

Yesterday, I highlighted Albanian separatists in conflicts which were not tampered with by the West..all ended in embarrassing defeats. Someone yesterday said it is not about who has a greater and more superior physical force (thereby accepting the fact that Albanians are physically weaker than Serbs) but rather the capability to garner enough international support to fight your battles for you.

Granted you manage to achieve that luxury. That is what South Korea did too. You want to know the difference? After the war, South Korea focused on building itself into an actual country with a booming economy and thus a strong military.....so now, South Korea can stand on its own and does not require the West anymore.

What have you done since '99? Have you been to occupied Kosovo i Metohija? Your looking at the 3rd world there buddy. Your arrogance and overvalue of self worth will leave you standing alone, facing the Serbs by yourself, without your "friends".

I promise.. we wont extract your organs or rape your women & children like you did ours. But putting down radical Islamist terrorism in Kosovo i Metohija is linked to our survival as a nation.

It's a wise approach. EU tends to impose it's own interest and to ignore the interest of the small nations. I remember what Hermann Göring said about the future of Europe in 1944. It was quite disturbing... Quite similar to what is happening now. Politicians change their coats and perhaps their approach but they hardly change their goals, their desire for power. They speak about justice, freedom, human rights and so on but in fact all they want is dominance, money and power. Justice is nothing for them, just a word thrown in the wind like a soulless stone. As a Romanian I fell more endangered by Germany's approach towards EU than Russia's interests in Europe. Many EU politicians ignored Romanians' interests (not in Europe but in ... our own country!). Be wise and fight for a free and proud Serbia which we'll always admire and respect.

Why don't you Serbs take a look at us Greeks. We were proud members of the European Union and probably among the biggest Euro-enthusiasts. Now Europe is hated in Greece more than ever.
Probably joining the EU is not the most lucrative option for your country,but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't shape your country according to the European standards, for the sake of your citizens. I suppose your president and the new government are quite aware of that.

"Kosovo is there still standing...."It is yours"...Go and take it...if you have guts!"

EA

Serbs can take the south as much as albanians can take the north. Is it yours? Go and take it....if you have the guts!

We were proud members of the European Union and probably among the biggest Euro-enthusiasts. Now Europe is hated in Greece more than ever.

(Papas, 28 August 2012 12:16)

Why you hate EU???

Because they gave you loads of billion of Euros. You eat them. Then when it was pay back day you said: oh we are poor we don't have that money. Then EU cancelled half of your debt and plus gave you other 300bn Euros to start repaying your original debt and finance your economy. The only condition they put is that you stop eating more than you can digest: impose some austerity measures. And this is more than normal as if not you would eat the second tranche of the debt in uzo and tastsiki.

I wish my bank cancels half of my loan and then even gives me more money to repay my old loan and some more for my pocket expenses.

The entire Balkans in the last 20 years has not received more than 20-30bn euros from EU. You in last 2 years received 200bn in cancelled debt and other 300bn euros in new loans. In the last 30-40 years you have received billions and billions from EU and US - and you still dear to complain.

I must agree with the Serbian president, Serbia should not join the EU at all cost. First of all, nobody would respect such a country that agrees to every condition, many would misuse that and the country's future would be uncertain.
Making concessions to every demand would only mean openning the Pandora box for further demands. The EU is now in its most devastating crisis, and they would only be looking for new conditions in order to buy time before they agree whether the Union will be accepting new countries or not.

WHatever the outcome of the European integration is, you Serbs should reform your country to the EU model and fight the corruption that is devastating your society. When you achieve that,it will not make a difference if you are a EU member or not.

Nikolic gave a very diplomatic answer which in effect means that the EU is not really a high priority for Serbia. This would have come as a huge shock because Jelko Kacin was in Belgrade to deliver the usual garb about joining the EU and Kosovo. It has come as a huge shock for Brussels as it no longer has any cards up its sleeve.
Watch as the western diplomats start arriving in Belgrade to convince Serbia to look towards the west.

This would have come as a huge shock ....(sj, 28 August 2012 13:14)

In the contrary. The absolute majority of EU citizens is very sceptical concerning EU enlargement. They don't want more bottomless pits e.g. Greece, Spain or problem countries like Cyprus or Romania. Serbia itself is already a mess. In fact, Kosovo is just the huge icing to say abolutely "No!" to Serbia. The Serbian politicians, however, still perpetuate that Kosovo and EU is possible. It is not and they don't have the guts to tell it. Instead they issue those brocken record statements, like "not at any costs". I tell you what, the EU does not want Serbia "at any costs", and they hold the strings, not Belgrade. Simple as that..

As i always said no EU for SERBIA ever..probablly in the near future no EU at all...

Any further condition you may receive by the EU will only be a signal that Europe itself is in crisis, but their hypocricy is too large to allow them to tell you that they don't have the capacities to further enlarge.

"...the situation in the southern Serbian province...". Who said that?

Kosovo is there still standing...."It is yours"...Go and take it...if you have guts!

If Serbia (including Kosovo of course) wants to join EU (the majority of people do) and this is the only common thing shared by Serbs and Albanians, then why can't EU just admit Serbia as a whole (with Kosovo) to EU without paying too mush attention to the status of central Serbia-Kosovo administrative line? Don't Europeans always say that borders don't matter much in mordern world any longer?

Serbia has to review every agreement made with Pristina by the previous government. The EU hasn't set the condition of recognizing Kosovo yet, no matter what some individual countries state.
The agreements so far have lead to a de facto recognition, only at the expense of Serbia. This denotes a political corruption of the previous government that has to be looked into, since fight against corruption and crime is a condition of the EU that would be good for Serbia to submit to.

Why Serbs tip-toe so much? You don't want to understand the situation in Kosovo? Then withdraw EU application, now. Why you don't do this because Kosovo will be a condition? Several member states will never ever allow Serbia to join without recognizing Kosovo.

"Not at any cost"....in other words "not if we have to recognise Kosovo". This is fair enough but let's say what we mean rather than talk in code. There are literally thousands of issues that have to be dealt with before Serbia can join the EU and I suggest that both they and the EU focus their energy on these, not least because by so doing there will be visible improvements in citizens' daily lives. The issue of Kosovo, whilst of keen interest to many, is not going to put food on the table or reduce unemployment or lessen the endemic corruption and nepotism.

Nikolic gave a very diplomatic answer which in effect means that the EU is not really a high priority for Serbia. This would have come as a huge shock because Jelko Kacin was in Belgrade to deliver the usual garb about joining the EU and Kosovo. It has come as a huge shock for Brussels as it no longer has any cards up its sleeve.
Watch as the western diplomats start arriving in Belgrade to convince Serbia to look towards the west.
(sj, 28 August 2012 13:14)
Nikolic's statement is almost identical to what Tadic said everytime he stepped behind a podium. It is a message for you and your nationalist friends and means nothing to the west. The message from the west is now that there will be no freebies in hopes that Serbia will respond, but only if Serbia responds.
Its becoming apparent that you are as gullible as your compatriots.

The entire Balkans in the last 20 years has not received more than 20-30bn euros from EU. You in last 2 years received 200bn in cancelled debt and other 300bn euros in new loans. In the last 30-40 years you have received billions and billions from EU and US - and you still dear to complain.
(ben, 28 August 2012 15:35)

Grade-A BS. Where do you albos get this stuff from?

Now my dear serb commentators be real and accept the reality "Kosovo belongs to his people - Albanina 95 % and Serbian & Others 5 %" .
Cheers !!!
(benjamin, 28 August 2012 14:29)

Tell me then, why is Southern Florida (especially Miami-Dade County) still part of the United States of America??? That area is 90% Cuban, so why doesn't Miami break away with a Unilateral Declaration to join Cuba and become it's "northern Capital"????? It's because the US would use any force possible to keep it's sovereignty intact from foreign interests- regardless who lives on the real estate! Florida is US territory.....and Kosovo Metohija is SERBIAN- and Serbs have every right to protect their sovereignty from "foreign interests"!!! And the "reality" of Kosovo Metohija is that it IS Serbian- no matter who lives there. Nation's boundaries can only change legally if BOTH peoples (Albanians and Serbs) desire it. And the Kosovo-Albanian's premise for independence will get weaker as time goes on, especially as the EU implodes.....for sure!

Mr. Nikolic
For sure the EU is priority , because of one single reason:10000 serbian kids with one meal per day. It seems that Russia has not on their projects any meals for poor kids. The Russia my Dear President is interested only on money , does Serbia have it? For sure not, then !!!!
About recognising Kosovo, I am 100% sure that within 5 years this will come true for one strong fact: The Country belong to the peoples who live there. Now my dear serb commentators be real and accept the reality "Kosovo belongs to his people - Albanina 95 % and Serbian & Others 5 %" . In one thing you must be sure that the acceptance of real situation will ensure or guarant the future generations the peace and better life "doesn't matter if he is Serb or Albanian" .
Cheers !!!

Nikolic is only repeating what Tadic used to say. This guy has nothing new to offer.

Nikolic can't decide, or pick and chose why, how or when RS may join the EU. European Union is existing union with laws, rules and regulations. With no exception, everybody needs to be on the top of his game. It is not mandatory for Serbia to join EU; neither EU has to except Serbia. There is no reason why would anybody worry about Serbia’s priorities. There is a path that Serbia, and any other country need to go on the way to EU. There are no short-cuts, nobody is special! Oh, and one more thing… you will have to be a part of NATO first! Do not even think that you can go around that one. Russians may no like that, by the way.

"Tell me then, why is Southern Florida (especially Miami-Dade County) still part of the United States of America??? "

Because.... and listen very carefully. The people who live in Southern Florida WANT TO BE A PART OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

Geeze, people are prone to some stupidly false analogies.

EA and Mike C: You forgot to mention that "my dad is bigger than your dad".....does your teacher know that you are typing these messages in his class??? Maybe you can settle your dispute by seeing who has the bigger d.

(Rick, 28 August 2012 18:31
You win the trophy for the most ridiculous ill-informed post of the year! congratulations.
While you overestimate the number Cuban Americans in Miami, that is insignificant. The people of Cuba in the US fled the oppression of the Castro regime, they sought not only refuge in the US but have immersed themselves into US society. They do not want to be a part of Cuba, they maintain their heritage, but there is no drive to separate from America. They have become a very powerful political and economical part of America.

Tell me then, why is Southern Florida (especially Miami-Dade County) still part of the United States of America??? That area is 90% Cuban, so why doesn't Miami break away with a Unilateral Declaration to join Cuba and become it's "northern Capital"?????
(Rick, 28 August 2012 18:31)

because they have expressed no desire to leave the US and join Cuba... but you are more than welcome to start a campaign to achieve that and hopefully the voters there will support your proposal.

(a New Day, 28 August 2012 14:32)

There is a huge difference between Tadic and Nikolic. Tadic was there to dismantle Serbia and to hand over Kosovo to the freedom loving democratic hugging west, but even then he could not do it successfully. You have to read Nikolic’s message in its entirety and you will see that it is different plus Belgrade is reviewing all the agreements signed by Tadic and some will be scraped.
I’m not sure where you people live as if the west has a bottomless pit of money to throw around – those days are over; the money pit is empty. There never was such a creature as a free lunch; someone always has to pay for it. The EU has nothing to offer Serbia except conditions to entry. Croatia has been told that once in the EU not to expect handouts for at least 15 to 20 years – don’t you people read that there are more and more members in line waiting for bailout by Brussels. The latest is Slovenia; you do know that in the old Yugoslavia it was know as mini America.
But if your thinking it the US, well they are rushing to the 17 trillion mark by Christmas – work out the percentage of US GDP.

(Commentator, 28 August 2012 14:44)

I’m taking about the bureaucrats in Brussels – they live on planet X and are far divorced from reality, but only if their department’s budget is cut do they realise something is wrong.

I have never discounted the fact that Serbia is a mess, but what I have said it’s the only one that has the potential to increase it standard of living as it has the resources to do so – plenty of fresh water, energy, minerals and arable land. The others new nations in that region do not come even close to Serbia.

The EU does not hold any strings because just as every EU citizens know the real situation so do the average Serb in Serbia. The EU has nothing left to offer because it fully occupies bailing out its members. The cash cow is dry.

Just ask the Romanians or Bulgarian or Hungarians just how they have prospered since joining the EU.

Remember that to hold string you need cash otherwise you hold nothing.

Ricky , one thing to ask you: which one is strong the concrete wall or human head ? The human head can not break the concrete wall, its impossible, but according to you is possible !!! Amazing !!!
I hope that in future to have less opinions as yours (because only wars will produce) and much more opinions as Danilo and icj1 (very real opinion which will produce peace peace and peace between peoples without considering their nationality).
Cheers!!

sj, 29 August 2012 04:17)
You are right there is a huge difference in Tadic and Nikolic. Do you think internationally any one takes Nikolic seriously. 1st there is the big hunger strike that put him in the hospital after he skipped 2 meals. Then following the first round of voting he is trailing Tadic and before the runoff he appears with a hand full of papers claiming they are ballots placed in the trash by the DS, just enough trickery to tip the scales in his favor and then no more mention of the alleged voter fraud.
Don't get me wrong, I was not a supporter of Tadic, he was as transparent as they come. When he was suddenly out of the country for the big peace demonstration in 2008 in which the embassy's were left without any protection so they could be attacked by the "hooligans" only showed he knew the plans and wanted no connection between himself and the events.
Tadic was pro-western but he was afraid to completely sell out Kosovo. I think you will find that it will be an easier feat for Nikolic, all the time claiming it is due to the actions of the previous govt.

(a New Day, 29 August 2012 14:36)

Serbia is a small country with limits to what it can do on its own. Like all small countries they need benefactors. The Albanians have the US and now the Serbs have the Russians and Chinese. In 1999 the Serbs were on their own with no one backing them but today it’s all different. Being taken seriously internationally is meaningless as it depends on who supports you. As far Nikolic is concerned I would have preferred someone else, but Nikolic is irrelevant as he is only the messenger.
As Bob Dylan said in one of his songs, “the times are a changing”. Money rules all and the west has run out.

"...the situation in the southern Serbian province...". Who said that?

Kosovo is there still standing...."It is yours"...Go and take it...if you have guts!

Mr. Nikolic
For sure the EU is priority , because of one single reason:10000 serbian kids with one meal per day. It seems that Russia has not on their projects any meals for poor kids. The Russia my Dear President is interested only on money , does Serbia have it? For sure not, then !!!!
About recognising Kosovo, I am 100% sure that within 5 years this will come true for one strong fact: The Country belong to the peoples who live there. Now my dear serb commentators be real and accept the reality "Kosovo belongs to his people - Albanina 95 % and Serbian & Others 5 %" . In one thing you must be sure that the acceptance of real situation will ensure or guarant the future generations the peace and better life "doesn't matter if he is Serb or Albanian" .
Cheers !!!

Nikolic gave a very diplomatic answer which in effect means that the EU is not really a high priority for Serbia. This would have come as a huge shock because Jelko Kacin was in Belgrade to deliver the usual garb about joining the EU and Kosovo. It has come as a huge shock for Brussels as it no longer has any cards up its sleeve.
Watch as the western diplomats start arriving in Belgrade to convince Serbia to look towards the west.
(sj, 28 August 2012 13:14)
Nikolic's statement is almost identical to what Tadic said everytime he stepped behind a podium. It is a message for you and your nationalist friends and means nothing to the west. The message from the west is now that there will be no freebies in hopes that Serbia will respond, but only if Serbia responds.
Its becoming apparent that you are as gullible as your compatriots.

EA and Mike C: You forgot to mention that "my dad is bigger than your dad".....does your teacher know that you are typing these messages in his class??? Maybe you can settle your dispute by seeing who has the bigger d.

We were proud members of the European Union and probably among the biggest Euro-enthusiasts. Now Europe is hated in Greece more than ever.

(Papas, 28 August 2012 12:16)

Why you hate EU???

Because they gave you loads of billion of Euros. You eat them. Then when it was pay back day you said: oh we are poor we don't have that money. Then EU cancelled half of your debt and plus gave you other 300bn Euros to start repaying your original debt and finance your economy. The only condition they put is that you stop eating more than you can digest: impose some austerity measures. And this is more than normal as if not you would eat the second tranche of the debt in uzo and tastsiki.

I wish my bank cancels half of my loan and then even gives me more money to repay my old loan and some more for my pocket expenses.

The entire Balkans in the last 20 years has not received more than 20-30bn euros from EU. You in last 2 years received 200bn in cancelled debt and other 300bn euros in new loans. In the last 30-40 years you have received billions and billions from EU and US - and you still dear to complain.

Go and take it...if you have guts!
(EA, 28 August 2012 09:43)

Acting tough on someone else's dime and strength. You people have earned nothing for yourselves yet act as if you are a physical threat to the state of Serbia.

Yesterday, I highlighted Albanian separatists in conflicts which were not tampered with by the West..all ended in embarrassing defeats. Someone yesterday said it is not about who has a greater and more superior physical force (thereby accepting the fact that Albanians are physically weaker than Serbs) but rather the capability to garner enough international support to fight your battles for you.

Granted you manage to achieve that luxury. That is what South Korea did too. You want to know the difference? After the war, South Korea focused on building itself into an actual country with a booming economy and thus a strong military.....so now, South Korea can stand on its own and does not require the West anymore.

What have you done since '99? Have you been to occupied Kosovo i Metohija? Your looking at the 3rd world there buddy. Your arrogance and overvalue of self worth will leave you standing alone, facing the Serbs by yourself, without your "friends".

I promise.. we wont extract your organs or rape your women & children like you did ours. But putting down radical Islamist terrorism in Kosovo i Metohija is linked to our survival as a nation.

Why Serbs tip-toe so much? You don't want to understand the situation in Kosovo? Then withdraw EU application, now. Why you don't do this because Kosovo will be a condition? Several member states will never ever allow Serbia to join without recognizing Kosovo.

I must agree with the Serbian president, Serbia should not join the EU at all cost. First of all, nobody would respect such a country that agrees to every condition, many would misuse that and the country's future would be uncertain.
Making concessions to every demand would only mean openning the Pandora box for further demands. The EU is now in its most devastating crisis, and they would only be looking for new conditions in order to buy time before they agree whether the Union will be accepting new countries or not.

This would have come as a huge shock ....(sj, 28 August 2012 13:14)

In the contrary. The absolute majority of EU citizens is very sceptical concerning EU enlargement. They don't want more bottomless pits e.g. Greece, Spain or problem countries like Cyprus or Romania. Serbia itself is already a mess. In fact, Kosovo is just the huge icing to say abolutely "No!" to Serbia. The Serbian politicians, however, still perpetuate that Kosovo and EU is possible. It is not and they don't have the guts to tell it. Instead they issue those brocken record statements, like "not at any costs". I tell you what, the EU does not want Serbia "at any costs", and they hold the strings, not Belgrade. Simple as that..

"Kosovo is there still standing...."It is yours"...Go and take it...if you have guts!"

EA

Serbs can take the south as much as albanians can take the north. Is it yours? Go and take it....if you have the guts!

Nikolic gave a very diplomatic answer which in effect means that the EU is not really a high priority for Serbia. This would have come as a huge shock because Jelko Kacin was in Belgrade to deliver the usual garb about joining the EU and Kosovo. It has come as a huge shock for Brussels as it no longer has any cards up its sleeve.
Watch as the western diplomats start arriving in Belgrade to convince Serbia to look towards the west.

As i always said no EU for SERBIA ever..probablly in the near future no EU at all...

Now my dear serb commentators be real and accept the reality "Kosovo belongs to his people - Albanina 95 % and Serbian & Others 5 %" .
Cheers !!!
(benjamin, 28 August 2012 14:29)

Tell me then, why is Southern Florida (especially Miami-Dade County) still part of the United States of America??? That area is 90% Cuban, so why doesn't Miami break away with a Unilateral Declaration to join Cuba and become it's "northern Capital"????? It's because the US would use any force possible to keep it's sovereignty intact from foreign interests- regardless who lives on the real estate! Florida is US territory.....and Kosovo Metohija is SERBIAN- and Serbs have every right to protect their sovereignty from "foreign interests"!!! And the "reality" of Kosovo Metohija is that it IS Serbian- no matter who lives there. Nation's boundaries can only change legally if BOTH peoples (Albanians and Serbs) desire it. And the Kosovo-Albanian's premise for independence will get weaker as time goes on, especially as the EU implodes.....for sure!

It's a wise approach. EU tends to impose it's own interest and to ignore the interest of the small nations. I remember what Hermann Göring said about the future of Europe in 1944. It was quite disturbing... Quite similar to what is happening now. Politicians change their coats and perhaps their approach but they hardly change their goals, their desire for power. They speak about justice, freedom, human rights and so on but in fact all they want is dominance, money and power. Justice is nothing for them, just a word thrown in the wind like a soulless stone. As a Romanian I fell more endangered by Germany's approach towards EU than Russia's interests in Europe. Many EU politicians ignored Romanians' interests (not in Europe but in ... our own country!). Be wise and fight for a free and proud Serbia which we'll always admire and respect.

"Not at any cost"....in other words "not if we have to recognise Kosovo". This is fair enough but let's say what we mean rather than talk in code. There are literally thousands of issues that have to be dealt with before Serbia can join the EU and I suggest that both they and the EU focus their energy on these, not least because by so doing there will be visible improvements in citizens' daily lives. The issue of Kosovo, whilst of keen interest to many, is not going to put food on the table or reduce unemployment or lessen the endemic corruption and nepotism.

If Serbia (including Kosovo of course) wants to join EU (the majority of people do) and this is the only common thing shared by Serbs and Albanians, then why can't EU just admit Serbia as a whole (with Kosovo) to EU without paying too mush attention to the status of central Serbia-Kosovo administrative line? Don't Europeans always say that borders don't matter much in mordern world any longer?

Serbia has to review every agreement made with Pristina by the previous government. The EU hasn't set the condition of recognizing Kosovo yet, no matter what some individual countries state.
The agreements so far have lead to a de facto recognition, only at the expense of Serbia. This denotes a political corruption of the previous government that has to be looked into, since fight against corruption and crime is a condition of the EU that would be good for Serbia to submit to.

Any further condition you may receive by the EU will only be a signal that Europe itself is in crisis, but their hypocricy is too large to allow them to tell you that they don't have the capacities to further enlarge.

Nikolic is only repeating what Tadic used to say. This guy has nothing new to offer.

Why don't you Serbs take a look at us Greeks. We were proud members of the European Union and probably among the biggest Euro-enthusiasts. Now Europe is hated in Greece more than ever.
Probably joining the EU is not the most lucrative option for your country,but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't shape your country according to the European standards, for the sake of your citizens. I suppose your president and the new government are quite aware of that.

WHatever the outcome of the European integration is, you Serbs should reform your country to the EU model and fight the corruption that is devastating your society. When you achieve that,it will not make a difference if you are a EU member or not.

Nikolic can't decide, or pick and chose why, how or when RS may join the EU. European Union is existing union with laws, rules and regulations. With no exception, everybody needs to be on the top of his game. It is not mandatory for Serbia to join EU; neither EU has to except Serbia. There is no reason why would anybody worry about Serbia’s priorities. There is a path that Serbia, and any other country need to go on the way to EU. There are no short-cuts, nobody is special! Oh, and one more thing… you will have to be a part of NATO first! Do not even think that you can go around that one. Russians may no like that, by the way.

"Tell me then, why is Southern Florida (especially Miami-Dade County) still part of the United States of America??? "

Because.... and listen very carefully. The people who live in Southern Florida WANT TO BE A PART OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

Geeze, people are prone to some stupidly false analogies.

Ricky , one thing to ask you: which one is strong the concrete wall or human head ? The human head can not break the concrete wall, its impossible, but according to you is possible !!! Amazing !!!
I hope that in future to have less opinions as yours (because only wars will produce) and much more opinions as Danilo and icj1 (very real opinion which will produce peace peace and peace between peoples without considering their nationality).
Cheers!!

The entire Balkans in the last 20 years has not received more than 20-30bn euros from EU. You in last 2 years received 200bn in cancelled debt and other 300bn euros in new loans. In the last 30-40 years you have received billions and billions from EU and US - and you still dear to complain.
(ben, 28 August 2012 15:35)

Grade-A BS. Where do you albos get this stuff from?

Tell me then, why is Southern Florida (especially Miami-Dade County) still part of the United States of America??? That area is 90% Cuban, so why doesn't Miami break away with a Unilateral Declaration to join Cuba and become it's "northern Capital"?????
(Rick, 28 August 2012 18:31)

because they have expressed no desire to leave the US and join Cuba... but you are more than welcome to start a campaign to achieve that and hopefully the voters there will support your proposal.

(a New Day, 28 August 2012 14:32)

There is a huge difference between Tadic and Nikolic. Tadic was there to dismantle Serbia and to hand over Kosovo to the freedom loving democratic hugging west, but even then he could not do it successfully. You have to read Nikolic’s message in its entirety and you will see that it is different plus Belgrade is reviewing all the agreements signed by Tadic and some will be scraped.
I’m not sure where you people live as if the west has a bottomless pit of money to throw around – those days are over; the money pit is empty. There never was such a creature as a free lunch; someone always has to pay for it. The EU has nothing to offer Serbia except conditions to entry. Croatia has been told that once in the EU not to expect handouts for at least 15 to 20 years – don’t you people read that there are more and more members in line waiting for bailout by Brussels. The latest is Slovenia; you do know that in the old Yugoslavia it was know as mini America.
But if your thinking it the US, well they are rushing to the 17 trillion mark by Christmas – work out the percentage of US GDP.

(Commentator, 28 August 2012 14:44)

I’m taking about the bureaucrats in Brussels – they live on planet X and are far divorced from reality, but only if their department’s budget is cut do they realise something is wrong.

I have never discounted the fact that Serbia is a mess, but what I have said it’s the only one that has the potential to increase it standard of living as it has the resources to do so – plenty of fresh water, energy, minerals and arable land. The others new nations in that region do not come even close to Serbia.

The EU does not hold any strings because just as every EU citizens know the real situation so do the average Serb in Serbia. The EU has nothing left to offer because it fully occupies bailing out its members. The cash cow is dry.

Just ask the Romanians or Bulgarian or Hungarians just how they have prospered since joining the EU.

Remember that to hold string you need cash otherwise you hold nothing.

(Rick, 28 August 2012 18:31
You win the trophy for the most ridiculous ill-informed post of the year! congratulations.
While you overestimate the number Cuban Americans in Miami, that is insignificant. The people of Cuba in the US fled the oppression of the Castro regime, they sought not only refuge in the US but have immersed themselves into US society. They do not want to be a part of Cuba, they maintain their heritage, but there is no drive to separate from America. They have become a very powerful political and economical part of America.

sj, 29 August 2012 04:17)
You are right there is a huge difference in Tadic and Nikolic. Do you think internationally any one takes Nikolic seriously. 1st there is the big hunger strike that put him in the hospital after he skipped 2 meals. Then following the first round of voting he is trailing Tadic and before the runoff he appears with a hand full of papers claiming they are ballots placed in the trash by the DS, just enough trickery to tip the scales in his favor and then no more mention of the alleged voter fraud.
Don't get me wrong, I was not a supporter of Tadic, he was as transparent as they come. When he was suddenly out of the country for the big peace demonstration in 2008 in which the embassy's were left without any protection so they could be attacked by the "hooligans" only showed he knew the plans and wanted no connection between himself and the events.
Tadic was pro-western but he was afraid to completely sell out Kosovo. I think you will find that it will be an easier feat for Nikolic, all the time claiming it is due to the actions of the previous govt.

(a New Day, 29 August 2012 14:36)

Serbia is a small country with limits to what it can do on its own. Like all small countries they need benefactors. The Albanians have the US and now the Serbs have the Russians and Chinese. In 1999 the Serbs were on their own with no one backing them but today it’s all different. Being taken seriously internationally is meaningless as it depends on who supports you. As far Nikolic is concerned I would have preferred someone else, but Nikolic is irrelevant as he is only the messenger.
As Bob Dylan said in one of his songs, “the times are a changing”. Money rules all and the west has run out.