"Next government might turn to Russia"

Source: Beta, Večernje novosti

BELGRADE -- Interior Minister Ivica Dačić told a Belgrade daily that "Europe would make a big mistake" if Serbia were not made candidate for EU membership next month.

Ivica Dačić (file)

Dačić, who is also one of deputy prime ministers and leader of the Socialists (SPS), noted that it was "obvious there was great affection for Russia among the people, while the popularity of the EU was increasingly declining".
Speaking about the conditions set before Serbia in order to become candidate, he said "a way out" was expected to be found in the dialogue with Priština, but added that Serbia must insist on preservation of Resolution 1244 and asymmetrical representation of Kosovo in regional forums.

"If the EU and America fail to understand our position and are always taking the side of (ethnic) Albanians, it is to be expected that a political option will come to power that might turn to Russia," Dačić told Večernje Novosti newspaper.

He also commented on the decision by the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) not to take part in the work of parliament, to say that despite this, the government had not collapsed and that he "did not believe it was in SPO's interest to bring down the government".

However, the minister noted that the party led by Vuk Drašković "obviously no longer wished to be in a coalition with the Democrats, and vice versa".

Dačić also revealed that his Socialists would not join a future coalition where "key leverage" belonged to the SPO and the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP).

"However, the LDP would not create difficulties as a minority part of a coalition, where it would be unable to impose its foreign policy ideas. The (city) government in Belgrade is a good example," he asserted.

Dačić also stated that he was "not rejecting" the Serb Progressives (SNS) or the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) as future partners, but that it was "normal" for his party to first talk to the Democrats, whom he described as "strategic partners".

But Dačić still claims that the DS and the SNS will attempt to form a technical or transitional government after the next election - due to take place in the spring - unless a different majority were "mathematically possible".

Addressing the speculation that the Democrats were "offering him premiership in advance", Dačić said he never discussed this possibility with any DS official.

"Let's wait and do the sums when elections are over. Premiership is not my basic goal," Dačić was quoted as saying.