Sparks Fly at Serbian Christmas Page 4 Top New Year's Eve Revels Pages
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Page 4 Christmas at Serbian fly Sparks BELGRADE INSIGHT IS PUBLISHED BY INSIGHTISPUBLISHED BELGRADE ORDER DELIVERY TO TO DELIVERY ORDER Festive Guide Festive [email protected] YOUR DOOR YOUR +381 11 4030 303 303 114030 +381 Friday • June 13 • 2008 NEWS NEWS 1 9 +381 11 4030 306 114030 +381 7 7 1 ISSN 1820-8339 8 2 Pages 6 and 7 6and Pages revels Eve Year’s New Top 0 8 3 3 0 0 0 0 1 Issue No. No. Issue [email protected] Issue No. 1 / Friday, June 13, 2008 EDITOR’S WORD 175 Lure of Tadic Alliance Splits Socialists Political Predictability 22,2015 January -Thursday, 26 December Friday, While younger Socialists support joining a new, pro-EU government, old By Mark R. Pullen Page 9 celebrate to reason Another Year: Serbian New Milosevic loyalists threaten revolt over the prospect. party over which way to turn. “The situation in the party seems extremely complicated, as we try to convince the few remaining lag- gards that we need to move out of Milosevic’s shadow,” one Socialist Party official complained. “Dacic will eventually side with Many of us who have experi- Tadic in a bid to guide his party into enced numerous Serbian elections the European mainstream, but much rate ourselves as pundits when it of the membership and many offi- comes to predicting election re- cials may oppose that move.” sults and post-election moves. Nikolic agreed: “The question is We feel in-the-know because will the party split or will the ‘old- our experience of elections in Ser- timers’ back down,” he noted. bia has shown us that (a.) no single Fearing they might not cross the party or coalition will ever gain the Page 11 out frozen nearly was Frost Grandpa How 5-per-cent threshold to enter parlia- majority required to form a govern- ment, the Socialists teamed up with ment, and (b.) political negotiations the Association of Pensioners and the will never be quickly concluded. United Serbia Party, led by business- Even when the Democrats man Dragan Markovic “Palma”. achieved their surprising result at Pensioners leader, Jovan Krkoba- last month’s general election, it bic, Palma and Dacic are all pushing quickly became clear that the re- for a deal with the Democrats. sult was actually more-or-less the Socialist leader Ivica Dacic remains the Serbian kingmaker The reported price is the post of same as every other election result deputy PM, with a brief in charge of in Serbia, i.e. inconclusive. By Rade Maroevic in Belgrade to Serbia’s late president, Slobodan faces extinction unless it changes. security for the Socialist leader. This is likely to continue as long Milosevic, and reformists who want However, a strong current also In addition, the Socialists are bar- as Serbia’s politicians form new ense negotiations on a new gov- the party to become a modern Euro- flows in the opposite direction, led gaining for other ministries, includ- political parties every time they ernment have divided the ranks pean social democrat organisation. by party veterans enraged by the ing capital investments, Kosovo and disagree with their current party Tof the Socialist Party, which holds After eight years of stagnation, prospect of a deal with Tadic. education, Belgrade media reported. leader (there are currently 342 reg- Page 14 Christmas it’s heart, Open your istered political parties in Serbia). Photo bySwitchology/Flickr Photo the balance of power between the the Socialists returned to centre stage Mihajlo Markovic, a founder of Tadic has denied talk of horse- main blocs and has yet to announce after winning 20 of the 250 seats in the party, recently warned of a crisis trading with the Socialists, maintain- Drawn-out negotiations are also which side they will support. parliament in the May 11 elections. if Dacic opts for the pro-European ing that ministries would go only to the norm. One Belgrade-based “It looks as if the Socialists will With the pro-European and nation- bloc, abandoning the Socialists’ “nat- those committed to working for the Ambassador recently told me he move towards a government led by alist blocs almost evenly matched, ural” ideological partners. government’s “strategic goal”. was also alarmed by the distinct the Democrats,” political analyst Mi- the Socialists now have the final say Markovic, a prominent supporter At the same time, Dacic seems re- lack of urgency among Serbian lan Nikolic, of the independent Cen- on the fate of the country. of Milosevic during the 1990s, is luctant to call off negotiations with politicians. “The country is at a tre of Policy Studies, said. “But such Nikolic believes the Socialists, led seen as representative of the “old- the nationalists. standstill and I don’t understand a move might provoke deeper divi- by Ivica Dacic, will come over to timers” in the party who want to stay “If we don’t reach an agreement their logic. If they are so eager to sions and even split the party.” Tadic, if only out of a pragmatic de- true to the former regime’s policies, with the DSS and Radicals, the par- progress towards the EU and en- Simultaneous negotiations held sire to ensure their political survival. even though these almost ruined the ty leadership will decide on future courage investors, how come they with the pro-European and national- “The group of younger Socialists Socialists for good. steps”, Dacic announced, following go home at 5pm sharp and don’t ist blocs have drawn attention to a gathered around Dacic seems to be Some younger Socialist officials the first session of country’s new par- work weekends?” deep rift inside the Socialists. in the majority”, Nikolic said, adding have voiced frustration over the con- liament on Wednesday. Surely the situation is urgent This divides “old-timers” loyal that these reformists believe the party tinuing impasse within their own Source: Balkan Insight (www.balkaninsight.com) enough to warrant a little overtime. THIS ISSUE OF Business Insight Neighbourhood Matters Belgrade Insight IS SUPPORTED BY: Costs Mounting Football Rebellion conomists are warning that pro- hile the football world watch- longed uncertainty over Serbia’s es events unfold at the Euro- Efuture could scare off investors, lead Wpean Championships in Austria and to higher inflation and jeopardise Switzerland, Bosnia is experiencing prosperity for years to come. a soccer rebellion, led by fans, play- “This year has been lost, from the ers and former stars who are enraged standpoint of economic policy,” says by what they see as corrupt leaders Stojan Stamenkovic of the Econom- of the country’s football association ics Institute in Belgrade. leaders. page 5 page 10 2 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, December 26 - Thursday, January 22, 2015 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, December 26 - Thursday, January 22, 2015 3 FESTIVE GUIDE FESTIVE GUIDE Working hours January 1st, 2nd and 7th are non- A year in the headlines working days in From Vučić’s victory to Putin’s parade and Šešelj’s shock Serbia. Shops and return, Belgrade Insight looks back at the stories that markets will be dominated the news in 2014. open until 6pm on Decem- ber 31st and on Serbian Orthodox Christmas Eve (January 6th). While most shops will be closed on January 1st, many will work from 8am to 12pm on January Belgrade prepared a grand military parade to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin. 2nd. Photo by Marko Drobnjaković/AP Ušće shopping centre will work longer hours from Decem- th th NOVEMBER 12th ber 26 -30 (10am-11pm). On st VOJISLAV ŠEŠELJ RETURNS December 31 it will be open till 6pm and will be closed on TO SERBIA AFTER 11 YEARS January 1st and 7th. On January Hundreds of supporters welcomed Etihad Airways officially became the co-partner of Air Serbia. Photos by Beta Tensions between Albania and Serbia skyrocketed after a drone carrying the flag of Greater 6th, it will work until 6pm. nationalist leader Šešelj, who is on trial for Albania was flown over the pitch at the Euro 2016 qualifier in Belgrade. Photo by Beta/AP The same goes for Delta war crimes at the Hague Tribunal, as he City shopping centre, but on arrived in Belgrade after being temporary January 1st and 7th, some fast released for cancer treatment. food outlets and the Cineplexx cinema at the retail complex th NOVEMBER 20 will be open from 3pm. HAHN TELLS SERBIA TO Hospitals will operate as JOIN SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA usual, while four chemists’ Johannes Hahn, the EU Commissioner for shops will be open round the Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement clock: Sveti Sava at Neman- Negotiations, has told Serbia it must join jina street 2, Prvi Maj at Kralja EU-imposed sanctions on Russia. Milana 9, Bogdan Vujošević at Goce Delčeva 30 and Zemun at rd Glavna 34. Serbia witnessed the worst floods in decades. Novak Đoković married his longtime Alleged Balkan drug lord Darko Šarić. Serbia held snap elections in March. DECEMBER 3 girlfriend Jelena. Photo: Facebook Open-air markets will also be Thousands greeted Serbian basketball players upon their return from the World Cup in Spain SERBIA COUNTS COST Vojislav Seselj was released from The closed on January 1st, 2nd and 7th. JANUARY 27th to genuine original footage shot by the MARCH 10th APRIL 22nd JUNE 27th where they scored a silver medal. Photo by Beta OF RUSSIAN PIPELINE HALT Hague after 11 years. Photo by Beta Petrol stations in the city will SERBIAN GOVT PLANS national broadcaster RTS, which showed SERBIAN OFFICIALS STAY SERBIAN PRESIDENT WATERFRONT MEGA-PROJECT “WILL After Russia announced it would scrap its be open from 6am to 8pm dur- SNAP PARLIAMENTARY POLLS Vučić rescuing a boy stuck in a snowstorm NEUTRAL ON UKRAINE CRISIS INVITES VUČIĆ TO FORM GOVT CHANGE FACE OF BELGRADE“ JULY 23rd ing comprehensively defeated in the final Belgrade was abandoned after a drone South Stream gas pipeline, experts have ing the holidays, while those at Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić is in the northern town of Feketić.