I was away from Serbia for a month, and the first thing I saw when I came back was a group hug photo of Cedomir Jovanovic, Latinka Perovic and Vuk Draskovic. I was absolutely sure that the pic was photoshopped, as a humorous attempt by my chums to make it easier for me to adapt to the Serbian reality, upon my return from the almost offensively fairytale-like New Zealand. They told me several times that the photos were not a fake, they kept sending me links to articles – but I did not believe a word they were saying – hey, it was all a part of their conspiracy!
However, this is where I made a grievous error in judgment. This is Serbia, my friends, so – anything goes! All favorite pirate captain from the nineties has indeed resurrected in his umpteenth incarnation, this time as a legitimate partner of “the liberal left”. Dear me! I am just wondering how his biggest fan club, that lovely hippie commune from Ravna Gora, will react to his new role. However, they are probably too hammered from hectoliters of plum brandy and focused on roasting buffalos to even notice. Though, to be perfectly honest, the man has been giving rather reasonable statements for a while – however, is that enough to get over his role in the rise of Chetnik movement in the nineties, statements about cutting the hands carrying Turkish flags, paramilitary White eagles, monarchy, and coalitions with Milosevic, Kostunica and Tadic? Obviously, depends on who you ask.
Opting for a lesser evil still means opting for evil, no one can deny that. And this became clear to all those people who voted for Tadic on account of “Europe”. Probably also to those who voted for him on account of “Kosovo”. Which was blatantly evident immediately after the elections, when the coalition with Milosevic’s Socialist Party of Serbia was forged, followed by the statement that “both parties tragically lost their leaders”. This opened door to fornication of the sort not witnessed since the times of Caligula, which, very quickly, became something utterly acceptable on our political scene.
Disgusted by the horrors which started to spill from the sewer after this unholy political marriage was made official, and after Vuk Jeremic was introduced to the mix, I believed that scaring the voters with Radicals, both the new and the old ones, finally resulted in the transformation of the Democratic Party itself into Radicals – the crucial differences were erased so thoroughly, that I started to profess that it might be better to let Tomislav Nikolic and his folk come into power, do their worst, destroy what little is left of Serbia – so that we can start over, from the beginning, with a clean slate.
However, as the elections draw near, I am not that sure how smart my idea was, and to what extent it was only an emotional reaction, which came as the result of revolt. I believe now, unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, that the tactic of scaring us with the Radicals/Progressives will always work, at least where I am concerned. I mean – just look at them! Can you imagine them really coming to power, and staying there for at least four years! Imagine their coalition with Kostunica, Velja Ilic and Dacic. Are we really sure that we can survive that? Despite the fact that the ruling coalition makes us wants to throw up…
And I still believe, maybe naively, that a protest vote is not the solution. However, I do understand the people who simply don’t have the stomach for any other option.
And, what now? Vote? Support this colorful (not to use harsher words) coalition of ex-Chetniks, ex-communists and LDP, which shamefully shunned Vesna Pesic? Well… yes.
This reminds me of one of the best scenes in the last Harry Potter movie, where Voldemort asks Malfoy senior (opportunist sleaze ball, who only looks after his interests in every situation, changing sides at least several times): “How can you live with yourself, Lucious?”, to which Malfoy answers, truthfully (for the first time in his life): “I don’t know”.
How much is exactly too much is the question each of us will have to answer by himself. As long as we do not lie to ourselves, everything will be ok. I mean, nothing will be ok, but at least some of us will be able to sleep peacefully at night. Not sure about myself, though.
The author is a movie director from Belgrade and signer of the LDP Reversal Declaration.
Translated by Bojana Obradovic
Peščanik.net, 23.11.2011.
