FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Europe could publicly take a tougher stance on him and set him up to face the "fate of Tadic" with Merkel in 2011.
Aleksandar Vučić may be pleased with what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said to the Serbian public, perhaps very little and superficially interested. We may not know what she told him privately, but we can probably tell from his grim face when they appeared before the press.
Perhaps most importantly for her, von der Leyen did not clearly and directly support the students, which she did not. But she challenged him by saying that the EU's position means freedom, not oppression, including the right to peaceful assembly, democracy and not autocracy, partnership, non-submission and diplomacy instead of aggression. Enough for those who know.
Most of the ignorant domestic public, who sympathize with Vučić, did not even listen to her words to understand them. Because, as Vučić said, now everything is focused on image and appearance, ignoring the essence.
And the president gave the pro-regime media enough material for the message he delivered to Von der Leyen, that Serbia is the world champion in democracy where the police act minimally and only as a last resort. The first lady of the EC contributed with reassuring words that the EU is with Serbia, that Serbian families will be safe and that they will be warm in the winter. These are words that please progressive voters and that Vučić can be pleased with, because this is the most important thing for him.
For the pro-European public, currently in the minority, it is important for Vučić to be clear that Europe may publicly take a tougher stance towards him and force him to face the "fate of Tadić" with Merkel in 2011.
It hasn't come to that yet, but the content is evident, although it was natural to expect that Von der Leyen wouldn't come and say "dear Aleksandar, you are brilliant and kudos for everything you do" after everything that happened in Serbia in recent months. Europe is not blind and unreasonable. It can only be if it has an interest.
The connection with Vučić may be that, despite the destruction of the newly established democracy in Serbia, he was quite cooperative and soft-spoken regarding Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that with his influence he could stabilize or destabilize the region.
The stability of a permissive policy regarding important issues for the EU, as Vučić had, will probably be difficult for anyone to have in the near future. Perhaps this is the key to their "love"./ Adapted by "Pamphlet" from "Danas"
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