Janjić on 'All-Serbian Assembly': They are fleeing from the results of their actions in the nineties, hiding behind the nation

(Patria) - Dušan Janjić, political analyst and coordinator of the Belgrade Forum for Ethnic Relations, spoke about the 'All-Serbian Assembly' held in Belgrade for Dnevnik 2 – he says it is a state-church gathering of people who share the same political views and who have declared themselves an assembly for all Serbs.

"They made a decision to form a national council, a kind of Serbian government, and the declaration still needs to pass the assembly; I don't believe anyone will challenge it because – what is born crooked cannot be straightened".

Ethno-nationalism, Janjić said, is not the basis on which a state can be built.

"They even mixed up the symbols at the gathering – they hung state flags and made government decisions instead of national flags without coats of arms, and at the same time, they obligated the nation on how to organize itself according to them".

When it comes to the institutionalization of the Declaration, Janjić believes it will be painful and has no chance of succeeding because it is not sustainable, but – it needs to be nurtured.

"We have again received a premature baby that will have to divide Serbs and others for 10-15 years. And, more important is the provision that calls for even more active internationalization of all these oppositions to all resolutions and, at the same time, explaining to the world about Serbian suffering".

Janjić also recalled the address by Aleksandar Vučić – because one holds a bull by the horns, and a man by his word.

"He gave his solemn word that he would not go to war, that he wanted peace, he swore by everything and anything".

Janjić also pointed out that the assembly had an internal political need, to create a lot of noise so that no one asks – why did you steal from me?

"Why did you steal from me in the elections? Why are you stealing my pension? Why are you stealing from me at the store?"

Janjić also said that the public does not perceive this day as important, but that there will be significant consequences.

"You can organize a nation democratically and under a leader – this is under a leader. Democratically – the idea of association should have come 'from below' and encompassed a wider circle of people. National councils of national minorities exist. Hungarians have that – Orbán was probably the inspiration, Russians also have this story – when they were preparing for the war in Ukraine, back in 2014...

Janjić believes that, in fact, the democratic organization of the Serbian community, the diaspora, and those living in Serbia will now be slowed down – because it is now unclear what is the state and what is the nation.

"And that's good – it will cause ferment in Serbian society, as well as in the ruling coalition".

Janjić also touched upon the denial of the genocide in Srebrenica in the Declaration.

"This is about frustration and trauma. A powerful circle of people is fleeing from the results of their actions in the nineties, they have a problem looking at themselves and their products in the mirror – and Srebrenica is one of those 'products'. That's why they are hiding behind the nation".