"DSS won't muddy its policies"

"DSS won't muddy its policies"

"We cooperated with some on the local level, but it turned out to be not that good, mathematically as well," Janković said and cited the example of the municipality of Odžak "where the DSS lost a lot of votes because it was allied with the Dveri Movement."

"So we decided that our pure policies should not be muddied. We are willing to take the risk because we believe in our program and the people who need to carry out that program," the president of the party's Political Council said.

Commenting on some opinion polls predicting that the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) would win about seven percent of the vote in the March elections, and on possible post-election coalitions, Janković said that "it depends on the outcome of the election."

"As far as the DSS is concerned our program and our principles are more important than joining the government and we have repeatedly insisted on that, just as (party leader, then prime minister) Vojislav Koštunica returned the power to the people and decided to go to the polls," he said.

As for Koštunica's recent comments that many parties in Serbia have been exhibiting "euro-fanaticism" and asked which parties he had in mind, Janković said that the statement referred to "the carriers of the current government," and added that the expression was used because of their unreserved support for the EU.

"We are euro-realistic and see things as they are, trying to present them to the citizens,", this DSS official said. He then added that "euro-realism" means that the EU is in many respects detrimental to the future of Serbia and its citizens.

"For example, the implementation of the SAA - here our our economy is losing hundreds of millions, and getting nothing. We've lost a part of the territory of the state, and we think that in that sense the price of closer relations with the EU was too high. We consider all that to be euro-fanatical behavior," said Janković, adding that the current government's attitude towards the EU was "humiliating."

"All demands are being accepted and they are constantly getting bigger, bolder...Our idea is to break the process of European integration, that is, the negotiations with the EU, and base future relations with EU countries on bilateral communication, which would be to our mutual benefit. Many are already doing this, and others will, too," said Janković, and cited the example of Iceland and Britain.

He said it was very important to explain the DSS policy of neutrality when it comes to the EU. "Let's be clear, we are not against the EU, because we belong in Europe, but we are against the colossal administration in Brussels that has created some kind of commonwealth out of Europe, which is not in the interest of our country," he explained his party's position.

"The DSS is committed to the path of non-alignment because this is the way of political neutrality and the way that makes us open and free," Janković stated, adding that the party will soon present its plan on how our country will be able to prosper through political neutrality.

Janković also said that "the ultimate idea" was to, no later than 2015 and after a public debate, call a referendum in which the people would decide on whether the country should join the EU.

The DSS official noted that Serbia should make sure it had self-esteem - and that "precisely this" would attract investments, along with having "functional institutions."