Vučić was part of Milošević's venture, he only changed his hairdresser!

The First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić has changed his hairdresser, wears better suits, but he is the same man who said that Serbia is a safe house for Ratko Mladić, stated in an exclusive interview for the BH News Agency Patria (NAP) Zoran Živković, former Prime Minister of Serbia and president of the New Party. Živković is one of the few leaders of the anti-Milošević revolution in Serbia who is still politically active. Ahead of the early elections in Serbia, NAP brings an extensive interview in which he openly talks about the attitude of the most popular politician in Serbia towards BiH and the attitude of the international community towards Vučić. Živković, who headed the Serbian Government during the major Operation Sabre which dismantled the Serbian mafia, believes that Serbia's policy towards BiH is hypocritical.

NAP: Everyone predicts that Vučić's Progressives will easily win the elections in Serbia. What are your predictions?

Živković: Vučić's party will most likely be the relative winner, meaning they will have the largest number or percentage of votes, but it is an open question whether that will be enough to form a government. As things stand now, most parties are offering themselves to Vučić for a post-election coalition. The only group that is not doing so and, on the contrary, has stated in its coalition agreement that it will explicitly not enter into a coalition with the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) after the elections, is the list on which my party, "Nova stranka", is located. The expectation that Vučić will have over 50, or rather 40 percent of the votes, is not realistic. But, I think, as things stand now, he will have more suitors at his door, those who would like to be his satellite.

NAP: What are your ambitions?

Živković: I hope that our coalition, despite the media blockade which is worse than during Milošević's time, will manage to reach the voters and send messages about its program. We expect to be a serious and large opposition that will, after a few years, return Serbia to the European path and complete the reforms initiated in 2000 and interrupted in 2003.

NAP: Why don't you trust Aleksandar Vučić?

Živković: I can only measure people, including politicians, by what they have done. What Vučić has done in about 20 years of his political career is that for the first 10 years he threatened members of all non-Serb nations that he would expel them from Serbia or kill them, and those who were Serbs but not radical enough, not patriotic enough by his standards, he threatened to send them into exile or camps. He was the Minister of Information at the time of Slavko Ćuruvija's murder and did not utter a single word of condemnation for that act, even in general terms, let alone directly. On the contrary, he joined the assessments of his then and now associate Tomislav Nikolić that he didn't care that Ćuruvija was killed because he allegedly called for the bombing of Serbia, so he deserved it. He was also part of a criminal venture, as we can call Milošević's "nineties", which brought much harm to the citizens of Serbia and the citizens of the region.

NAP: But, people change, he was a young politician. Now many see modern Serbia in him?

Živković: I would like someone from recent modern history to tell me who has changed so much that we can believe in such miracles. I would like it to be possible. I would like, as Serbs say, for someone to have a change of heart. But, I don't think that has happened this time. The proof of this is what has been happening in the last year and a half since Vučić formed the government, which he sovereignly manages from the position of first deputy prime minister. The Brussels Agreement was concluded here, by which Vučić recognized the reality of the situation in Priština, but this is an act known in jurisprudence as the act of an accomplice witness, or a repentant witness, or a protected witness. Someone who participated in a criminal act at a lower level and very often, in order to protect himself, his property, and his freedom, becomes an accomplice witness who denounces his bosses and is completely at the mercy of the judges.

NAP: Vučić often presents himself as a fighter against corruption. How do you, as someone who was in power during the major "Sabre" operation, comment on this? Vučić arrested Miroslav Mišković, the richest Serb.

Živković: Mišković was arrested, then released, travels the world without problems. He paid a large sum for bail, it is questionable whether he also gave some money under the table to be released from custody. Those who defend him, his lawyers, say that the indictment is weak, but even if he is convicted, it is not proof that Vučić is a great fighter against corruption. Vučić has so many criminalized so-called businessmen in his party, and in the parties of his partners, that he could fill a small prison. The state led by Vučić is stealing from the people. Nikolić released 2,500 criminals onto the streets a year ago, and they committed more than 65 percent of the criminal offenses last year! Just as Vučić called for Serbia to be a safe house for Mladić, it is now a safe house for criminals. There is no change there, he has changed his stylist, he wears slightly better suits, ties, shirts, and shoes better, and has a better hairdresser. But that's all.

NAP: How sincere is his policy towards BiH? He makes very measured, even positive statements.

Živković: Serbia's policy towards BiH in the last 10 years has been very hypocritical. Words, thoughts, and deeds of politicians differ completely. But, those who have led Serbia's policy recently, both Tadić and Vučić, fortunately do not have the courage or will to do what they think with BiH and Republika Srpska. I say, fortunately.

NAP: It was recently confirmed that Vučić had a private meeting with the Minister of Security of BiH, Fahrudin Radončić, in Serbia. How do you comment on that?

Živković: That is something that does not exist! There is no private behavior of a public figure. A prime minister or first deputy prime minister cannot have personal contacts on issues important for state security, including regional relations. Both of them, our first deputy prime minister and your minister, are obliged to say what the topic of the conversation was. What good or bad they did. But, this is a continuation of the secret policies pursued by people from the nineties. Secret policy is never good.

NAP: It seems that Vučić, however, has the support of the international community, especially the European Union. How true is that?

Živković: It is untrue that there is a monolithic positive attitude from the West towards Vučić. He will be good as long as he plays their tune on Kosovo. Of course, I don't think anything else can be done there either, because the time when Belgrade ruled Kosovo is long gone. But, they will pat Vučić on the shoulder until the process of Kosovo's independence is completed. After that, the West will say goodbye to Vučić.

NAP: When will that internal change in Serbia happen, which somehow began on October 5th with the fall of Milošević, but you say it stopped? Because many believe that until that happens, there will be no stability in the entire region, especially in BiH. Where are the people who led those changes? Đinđić was killed, you are not in power...

Živković: Of course, what happened on October 5th was a major event, but unfortunately, its positive consequences are almost negligible today. With the assassination of Đinđić and the harassment against his associates and those who led "Sabre", which almost reset crime in Serbia to zero, everything stopped. This was done by a large action of the socialists and Milošević's and Šešelj's forces, including some members of the DOS. This Serbian spring in October 2000 brought together all the enemies of modern Serbia, who, by assassinating Đinđić and overthrowing my government, turned the wheel of history back and returned Serbia to the mud of the 90s, but fortunately with less courageous politicians of evil disposition.