President Tadic was the one who pushed Kosovo Serbs to the barricades. For four months now, we have been listening that the barricades are the democratic and legitimate right of the people to protect their homes, their land, and their survival in Kosovo. Public companies helped them: Srbijasume, Putevi Srbije (The Roads of Serbia ), as well as the most important company – state security. Many of us wondered what the president had in mind when he pushed the people to the barricades. Filled with a sense of impending desperation, we watched the Kosovo Serbs being pushed into an abyss, and our state losing all credibility and its chance to jump on the last wagon of the runaway train to Europe. Now we see there was no plan, that it was just a childish game – Tadic was toying with the people and the state, with all citizens of this country. He waited, in the good old manner of Milosevic, until the last second. Only when the worst came to worst did Tadic decide to step up and say – well, I am now also fed up with those barricades, so step down from them! Barricades are no longer the state and national interest, the president informed us, God forbid! They serve only the extremists and those nasty politicians who want to come into power. All in all, the order is to abandon the barricades.

I do not want to be petty and raise the question of what exactly falls under the jurisdiction of the president of Serbia? Never mind, because we all know that he took all the power in the country in his hands a long time ago, that he decides about everything, and that in this particular case he personally commandeered the barricades. There is no one else he can blame, everyone else we have been listening to for days are only fans, musicians and well intentioned coalition parasites. However, if there are other guilty parties, they must be publicly admonished. When he informed us about his decision that Serbs are to leave the abominable barricades, a cacophony of exalted voices started praising this wise decision of the president. (However, there were some well-known voices of criticism, attacking from the wrong side.) The first to sing praises were the so-called analysts, who were without exception exulted with “the wise decision”, “brave move” and “responsible decision”. I just wonder where were they while Tadic commanded those same barricades. They wisely kept silent and praised the president, of course.

The second line of praise for the most recent presidential decision came from the current and future coalition partners, who rightfully reminded him: didn’t we tell you this, you were crucifying us and threatening our families, have we not been talking all along that the politics towards Kosovo must be changed, we even asked for a parliamentary session, but, praise the Lord, everything worked out well, we were useful, maybe we will even be rewarded.

The third line consists of the media and their editors-in-chiefs, who all supported the president. Not one of them asked whether the president had the next step figured out, what will happen now? Some hope – maybe he will manage to secure the candidacy after all, and success cures everything. Thus, everything will be forgotten. Only e-novine wondered who will be held accountable for the four months spent on the barricades, for the shameful lies and embarrassment, but also for the disastrous politics, especially after the defeat before the International Court of Justice, when even a political monkey should have realized all cards were on the table, and we were left only with wooden boards in our hands. Not even the clarity demonstrated by Chancellor Angela Merkel was enough. Allegedly, they were greatly surprised – they were not expecting such harshness. Yet we all knew what she was going to say, media even wrote about it beforehand. Another bad move was that the dialogue with Pristina was suspended. In brief – the politics of the president was wrong, unsuccessful and embarrassing, and it caused much damage to Serbia.

Above all, the behavior of Tadic is irresponsible. He toyed with citizens living in Kosovo, but he also toyed with all citizens of Serbia, because we did not hear what his goal was until yesterday, or the day before. When he told Serbs to leave the barricades, he gave the same command to himself. He too, should resign. With such a move, new politics could truly be initiated in Serbia. Because Serbia can no longer bear such irresponsible and arrogant politicians. President rushed to wash his hands of this and went partying with Dodik, in Republic of Srpska, together with stars like Kusturica and Djokovic (how did they all come together in that place?). They were welcomed by Serbian girls, and there was no lack of food and drink, either. Everyone was cheerful, famous, pretty and rich. And, in their heads, eternal! As far as Tadic is concerned, if he wants to be remembered by anything good that he has done, he should call the elections on all levels, presidential as well. Europe-lovers of all kinds are dime a dozen nowadays. He does not have to be torn between Europe and Kosovo any more. He is done with everything, candidacy or no candidacy.

Translated by Bojana Obradovic

Peščanik.net, 04.12.2011.


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Vesna Pešić, političarka, borkinja za ljudska prava i antiratna aktivistkinja, sociološkinja. Diplomirala na Filozofskom fakultetu u Beogradu, doktorirala na Pravnom, radila u Institutu za društvene nauke i Institutu za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju, bila profesorka sociologije. Od 70-ih pripada peticionaškom pokretu, 1982. bila zatvarana sa grupom disidenata. 1985. osnivačica Jugoslovenskog helsinškog komiteta. 1989. članica Udruženja za jugoslovensku demokratsku inicijativu. 1991. članica Evropskog pokreta u Jugoslaviji. 1991. osniva Centar za antiratnu akciju, prvu mirovnu organizaciju u Srbiji. 1992-1999. osnivačica i predsednica Građanskog saveza Srbije (GSS), nastalog ujedinjenjem Republikanskog kluba i Reformske stranke, sukcesora Saveza reformskih snaga Jugoslavije Ante Markovića. 1993-1997. jedna od vođa Koalicije Zajedno (sa Zoranom Đinđićem i Vukom Draškovićem). 2001-2005. ambasadorka SR Jugoslavije, pa SCG u Meksiku. Posle gašenja GSS 2007, njegovim prelaskom u Liberalno-demokratsku partiju (LDP), do 2011. predsednica Političkog saveta LDP-a, kada napušta ovu partiju. Narodna poslanica (1993-1997, 2007-2012).

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