Brussels or Moscow, come decide, Vuciq

Did anyone expect anything else? Not really. Aleksandar Vucic, the child-faced giant, is the winner of the election. Regardless of whether you'll delegate him from abroad as an alien or director of a cross-country <x0-democrat hybrid” ) recipe for the power's success in office for ten years has to do with the economy first of all.

Although the new generation is ready to leave the country if it hasn't been to Vienna or Frankfurt, the electors seem to thank it. Serbia's per capita income in the past five years increased to a considerable 40%. The state's unemployment of less than seven million people is declining, the state debt is modest, reserves in large amounts.

Without Ideals to Victory

This seems to be very concrete when you see the refrigerator and the bank account. Vucic, the criticised stabilizer many times who breathes from the media, who gives jobs on the basis of party affiliation and who controls police, secret services and justice, won the elections in no way with nationalist status. On the contrary:

Vucic's policy is almost without ideology. His Serbian Party of Progress (SNS) acts as a “catch-all” movement, which embraces all and everything. The opposition, meanwhile, has put the nationalists out of the game, marginalised them. The program is called “Vucci”, it has only to do with power.

Belgrade's approach course against Russia, characterised repeatedly as “pathological love”, is experiencing a stress test amid the Ukrainian war.

Identification Issue

Because they don't know what they want? Vucic plays like Tito once played between East and West. From the Russians, very good friends, Belgrade takes on gas at a friendly price, but it has been feeding for 15 years at the same time as three billion euros from the so-called EU Referee Fund. Since 2014 Serbia negotiates with Brussels for its EU entry ticket in a slow irritability.

At this very point now comes a new momentum in the halfhearted negotiations of membership. The Ukrainian war has changed a lot. After many long-time calls to Western Balkan countries, the EU door has opened up. Suddenly, it is no longer a matter of guaranteeing the rule of law, of cheap media, and of acting on corruption. Now the states of Southeast Europe ʹ in a very special way Serbia must be protected from Putin's appetite. But Belgrade must decide

The historical friend of the Slavs, Moscow, is loved and dear to Belgrade. Orthodox brother long hinders, with his veto at the Security Council, Kosovo's accession. Belgrade has no desire to hand over the so-called “djep of Serbism”. In fact, Kosovo has been declared independent since 2008. Which Belgrade and Moscow do not accept, but which already accept 100 states.

In this context it is not surprising that Vucic only secretly supports the UN resolution against Russia. Sanctions he hesitated to come, but then the election campaign laws were valid. Now the vote count is over, the strong man was confirmed in office and he took the political harvest.

From now on, the question is, What will he do with the outcome? Russia's attack on Ukraine gives Belgrade a welcome bid from Brussels. A historic chance. Not just because of conditions. Serbia is European and would do well to become European with the European Union. This would benefit the entire region. / DW