2008 from the perspective of New Serbian Political Thought

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Political events of the year:

1. Kosovo declares independence

2. Serbian Radical Party (SRS) split

3. New government elected, Vojislav Koštunica leaves power

4. Boris Tadić wins presidential election

5. Russians buy NIS (Petroleum Industry of Serbia)

Politician of the year:

1. Boris Tadić (won presidential and parliamentary elections, gaining full power in Serbia)

2. Ivica Dačić (his Socialist Party of Serbia [SPS] returns to power and regains its position in politics; he officially became second most powerful man in the country)

3. Vuk Jeremić (his attitude toward Kosovo and readiness to strain relations with Croatia made him one of the two most popular politicians in Serbia)

4. Tomislav Nikolić (good score on presidential election and successful beginning as president of the Serbian Progressive Party [Srpska napredna stranka])

5. Dragan “Palma” Marković (his support to the pro-European government turned the former black sheep of Serbian politics and “candidate for the Hague tribunal” into a someone who can have the president and foreign ambassadors dance attendance on him)

Political loser of the year:

1. Vojislav Koštunica (once a potential winner with best chances became the worst loser, losing power at all levels)

2. Velimir Ilić (started the year as the Minister of Capital Investment and signee of the energy agreement with Russia and ended up as a common opposition deputy; furthermore, his Horgoš-Požega Motorway building contract was terminated)

3. Vojislav Šešelj (being left by Nikolić and Vučić was the hardest personal and political blow from which he is not very likely to recover)

4. Mlađan Dinkić (triumphant in the first half of the year, but he crossed the line when he started to work against the energy agreement with Russia and made his aggressive attitude visible; first in line to leave the Government)

5. Čedomir Jovanović (although his Liberal democratic Party [LDP] is still in parliament and even participates in local government in Belgrade, the rating of this party never rose to expected level and did not manage to challenge the dominance of the Democratic party [DS])

Most effective political campaign in the media:

1. The FIAT in Kragujevac campaign which helped the pro-European coalition carry the day at the end of the election campaign

2. Intimidating voters by mentioning the “return of the Nineties” between two rounds of presidential election

3. The “Trading Kosovo for Sneakers” campaign which annulled the effect of the grand rally against the independence of Kosovo

4. Campaign led by Blic and B92 against the Concession Agreement for building the Horgoš-Požega motorway

5. Campaign led by the same media against the energy agreement with Russia and selling NIS to Gazprom

Scandal of the year:

1. The way the ambassadors of the United States and United Kingdom, Cameron Munter and Steven Wordsworth participated in Serbian politics just before and after Kosovo declared independence and in forming the current Serbian government

2. Decision to return ambassadors to the countries from which they had been withdrawn because those countries recognized the independence of Kosovo

3. Distributing free shares of state-owned companies to citizens and promising income of € 1000

4. Decision to unilaterally implement the Interim Agreement with the EU, which will cost Serbia between 200 and 300 million euros

5. The Krišto affair and sky-high salaries of the CEO and members of executive boards of state-owned companies

Editor of the year:

1. Ljiljana Smajlović (Politika)

2. Đuro Bilbija (Glas)

3. Nenad Stefanović (RTS)

Columnists of the year:

1. Mirjana Bobić (Politika, Novosti, Blic)

2. Dragoljub Žarković (Politika, Vreme, Blic)

3. Miroslav Lazanski (Politika, NIN)

4. Milorad Vučelić (Pečat, Pravda)

5. Nebojša Katić (Politika)

Political journalists:

- Batić Bačević (NIN)

- Petar Ignja (NIN)

- Svetlana Vasović-Mekina (Politika)

- Gorislav Papić (NIN)

- Dragana Matović (Politika)

Political talk shows:

1. Utisak nedelje, Olja Bećković (PG Mreža, TV B92)

2. Upitnik, Olivera Jovićević (RTS)

3. Šta radite, bre? Nataša Mihajlović (RTS)

4. Raskršća (RTV Vojvodina)

5. Samo vas gledamo, Nemanja Đorđević (TV Most)

Best radio shows:

1. Kažiprst (B92)

2. Rečeno-prećutano (Radio BG2)

3. Periskop (Radio S)

Best daily papers (political column):

1. Politika

2. Novosti

3. Glas

Political weekly:

1. NIN

2. Vreme

3. Pečat

Media trash of the year in the domain of politics:

1. Ćirilica, Milomir Marić (TV Košava)

2. E-novine, Petar Luković

3. Peščanik, Svetlana Lukić and Svetlana Vuković (Radio B92)

4. Transformation of Pravda daily paper from fierce radicals into anti-radicals

5. Kurir’s campaign against Mlađan Dinkić

Statements of the year:

1. “It is much more honorable to be number two in SRS than number one in all other parties.” (Tomislav Nikolić, as vice-president of SRS, March 11, 2008 "Upitnik", RTS)

2. “We will continue negotiations, which have not even started, with all political parties that won seats in the Parliament.” (Boris Tadić, at a meeting of the Board of DS, June8, 2008, "Politika")

3. "The problem is that those we would like to be in coalition with say they don’t like us and work against us, and those that we don’t want as partners wish to make a coalition with us, because they don’t have other options.” (Ivica Dačić, vice-president of SPS, May 5, 2008, "Blic")

5. "I’m supposed to take care of 1.6 million pensioners, and that’s a huge number of people in need. I certainly don’t want to be saddled with two more guys !” (Jovan Krkobabić, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia in charge of welfare, when asked if Mladić and Hadžić would be arrested soon. August 11, 2008, "Kurir")

4. "The Nineties are to be blamed for everything." (Žarko Obradović, Minister of Education, member of SPS, speaking about rising violence in schools, October 27, 2008, "Ključ", RTS)

6. "Common people say they prefer to see a new-born calf than a baby, because they now the budget will give them € 150 when the calf is born.” (Slobodan Milosavljević, outgoing Minister of Agriculture, member of DS, April 30, 2008, "Večernje novosti")