Mystery Lingers Over Grand Waterfront Plan
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Issue No. 166 Friday, July 25 - Thursday, September 04, 2014 ORDER DELIVERY TO Hidden Cash-strapped CeeLo Green YOUR DOOR +381 11 4030 303 treasures festival to make [email protected] - - - - - - - ISSN 1820-8339 1 for urban boasts a splash BELGRADE INSIGHT IS PUBLISHED BY 0 1 explorers bumper at Beer Fest lineup Page 4 Page 10 Page 14 9 7 7 1 8 2 0 8 3 3 0 0 0 Even when the Democrats longas continue to likely is This also are negotiations Drawn-out Surely the situation is urgent Many of us who have experi We feel in-the-know because bia has shown us that (a.) no single no (a.) that us shown has bia party or coalition will ever gain the governa form to required majority negotiations political (b.) and ment, will never be quickly concluded. achieved their surprising result at last month’s general election, quickly itbecame clear that the re sult was actually more-or-less the result election other every as same in Serbia, i.e. inconclusive. as Serbia’s politicians form new political parties every time disagree with they their current party reg 342 currently are (there leader political parties in Serbia). istered the norm. One Ambassador Belgrade-based recently told me he was also alarmed by the distinct lack of urgency among politicians. Serbian “The country is standstill at and a I don’t understand their logic. If they are so eager to progress towards the EU and en theycome how investors, courage go home at 5pm sharp and don’t work weekends?” overtime. little a warrant to enough Serbia EDITOR’S WORD Predictability Political By Mark R. Pullen elections Serbian numerous enced rate ourselves as pundits when it comes to predicting election re sults and post-election moves. our experience of elections in Ser - - - - - - - - - - - Mystery lingers over shellsNEWS out for pricey grand Waterfront plan foreignNEWS advisors “The situation in the party seems “Dacic will eventually side with Nikolic agreed: “The question is Fearing they might not cross the Pensioners leader, Jovan Krkoba The reported price is the post of In addition, the Socialists are bar Tadic has denied talk of horse- At the same time, Dacic seems re reach an agreement “If we don’t Source: Balkan Insight (www.balkaninsight.com) Balkan Insight (www.balkaninsight.com) Source: While officials party over which way to turn. extremely complicated, as we try to convince the few remaining lag gards that we need to move out of one Socialist shadow,” Milosevic’s Party official complained. in a bid to guide his party into Tadic the European mainstream, but much of the membership and many offi cials may oppose that move.” will the party split or ‘old- back down,” he noted. timers’ threshold to enter parlia 5-per-cent ment, the Socialists teamed up with Association of Pensioners and the the led by business United Serbia Party, man Dragan Markovic “Palma”. bic, Palma and Dacic are all pushing for a deal with the Democrats. of deputy PM, with a brief in charge security for the Socialist leader. gaining for other ministries, includ ing capital investments, Kosovo and education, Belgrade media reported. trading with the Socialists, maintain ing that ministries would go only to those committed to working for the “strategic goal”. government’s negotiations with luctant to call off the nationalists. with the DSS and Radicals, par ty leadership will decide on future steps”, Dacic announced, following par new country’s of session first the liament on Wednesday. - - - - say the mega- Hiring famous - development international page 10 will transform ‘advisors’ might Belgrade, questions boost Serbia’s remain about brand image - but hile the football world watch es events unfold at the Euro how the project they do not come a strong current also However, Mihajlo Markovic, a founder of Markovic, a prominent supporter Some younger Socialist officials Neighbourhood Matters faces extinction unless it changes. flows in the opposite direction, led by party veterans enraged the Tadic. prospect of a deal with recently warned of a crisis the party, if Dacic opts for the pro-European “nat bloc, abandoning the Socialists’ ural” ideological partners. of Milosevic during the 1990s, is seen as representative of the “old- timers” in the party who want to stay policies, true to the former regime’s even though these almost ruined the Socialists for good. have voiced frustration over the con tinuing impasse within their own Football Rebellion Football pean Championships in Austria and pean Championships in Switzerland, Bosnia is experiencing led by fans, play a soccer rebellion, enraged ers and former stars who are by what they see as corrupt leaders football association of the country’s leaders. W will be financed, June 13, 2008 Issue No. 1 / Friday, - - - - cheap and their - and whether use is limited if such an upscale the government page 5 development fails to act on their will benefit local words. people. conomists are warning that pro over Serbia’s uncertainty longed “This year has been lost, from the Katarina MARKOVIĆ After eight years of stagnation, the pro-European and nation With Nikolic believes the Socialists, led “The group of younger Socialists Business Insight Costs Mounting future could scare off investors, lead investors, lead future could scare off to higher inflation and jeopardise prosperity for years to come. says standpoint of economic policy,” Econom the of Stamenkovic Stojan ics Institute in Belgrade. to Serbia’s late president, Slobodan to Serbia’s Milosevic, and reformists who want the party to become a modern Euro pean social democrat organisation. the Socialists returned to centre stage after winning 20 of the 250 seats in elections. parliament in the May 11 alist blocs almost evenly matched, the Socialists now have the final say on the fate of country. by Ivica Dacic, will come over to if only out of a pragmatic de Tadic, sire to ensure their political survival. gathered around Dacic seems to be adding said, Nikolic majority”, the in that these reformists believe the party Ivana NIKOLIĆ E - - - - azar Krstić, the former - here is no escaping the Bel- finance minister who re- grade Waterfront. Adverts signed on July 12th, is about for the gigantic real estate to join a high profile group of Friday • June 13 2008 project are visible almost advisors to the government everywhere these days – on Lthat includes ex-IMF chief Dominique Tstreets and buses, above people’s heads Strauss-Kahn and Italy’s ex-foreign min- on billboards and in the newspapers. ister, Franco Fratini. THIS ISSUE OF Officials have high hopes that this pro- Krstić is tasked with helping the gov- Belgrade Insight IS SUPPORTED BY: IS SUPPORTED ject will modernise the face of Belgrade ernment address Serbia’s manifold eco- on a new gov ense negotiations ernment have divided the ranks “It looks as if the Socialists will Simultaneous negotiations held This divides “old-timers” loyal Socialist leader Ivica Dacic remains the Serbian kingmaker Socialist leader Ivica Dacic remains Lure of Tadic Alliance Splits Socialists Tadic Lure of government, old pro-EU While younger Socialists support joining a new, over the prospect. revolt Milosevic loyalists threaten in Belgrade By Rade Maroevic at the same time as boosting Serbian nomic problems. which holds of the Socialist Party, the balance of power between the blocs and has yet to announce main which side they will support. move towards a government led by the Democrats,” political analyst Mi lan Nikolic, of the independent Cen tre of Policy Studies, said. “But such a move might provoke deeper divi sions and even split the party.” with the pro-European and national ist blocs have drawn attention to a deep rift inside the Socialists. T industry and the economy. Beside him, the government is also considering hiring former British min- Continued on page 3 State officials have high expectations of the Belgrade Waterfront project. Photo by Beta ister Peter Mandelson, with a brief to help Serbia join the EU. According to Britain’s Daily Mail, after Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić spoke first with former British Prime Min- Summer on the beach in Belgrade ister Tony Blair and his one-time chief of staff, Jonathan Powell, he opted for Man- For a city that’s nowhere near the coast, island of Ada Ciganlija is the best option. For those looking for safer outdoor delson as Blair was “too expensive”. Placed on the man-made Sava Lake, Ada activities, Ada boasts around 50 sports Whether hiring foreign advisors is Belgrade has some surprisingly good beaches is a favourite among a wide range of peo- facilities, which offer basketball, vol- delivering real results for Serbia re- - so pack up your towel and sun cream and ple – from parents with children to teen- leyball, tennis courts, football, rugby, mains a moot question, however, ex- agers, students and the elderly. lacrosse and mini-golf. However, beach perts says. explore the options. Ada offers around seven kilometres volleyball is by far the most favourite This is because while their advice of beach along which you can find sport at Ada, so take a ball and you are may be sound, it will have no effect in Ivana NIKOLIĆ many beaches that offer a perfect es- more than 70 bars and cafés. You can bound to make lots of new friends on the absence of a clear will on the gov- cape from the summer heat. And, if you have your morning coffee, breakfast or court. ernment’s part to implement their sug- elgrade is not a city by the are a fan of rowing, make sure you are dinner at any of them, but bear in mind Another thing you will spot during gestions.