Topic of the week
German Bundeskanzler (Federal Chancellor) Angela Merkel’s visit to Belgrade headlined nearly all Serbian news outlets this past week. Her visit marks the first time since 2003 for a German chancellor to address the Serbs on their own soil. Merkel’s visit also calls attention to the important economic relationship between the two countries. German investments have grown to 1.5 billion Euros annually. There are now approximately 250 German companies employing about 20,000 workers in Serbia. Serbian émigrés living in Germany wire Euros amounting up to five million average Serbian paychecks yearly to their relatives in Serbia. However, the Chancellor’s visit did more than showcase the close economic ties. Her visit raised three connected issues: Serbia’s bid for EU membership, Kosovo’s “unilateral” declaration of independence and Belgrade’s firm stance by UN Resolution 1244. The online magazine Beta, for instance, noted that Merkel will increase ‘pressure’ on Serbia to acknowledge Kosovar independence prior to Belgrade’s admission to the European Union.
The Chancellor’s visit was preceded by skirmishes on the Kosovo-Serb border by which Kosovar groupings challenged Serb authority over the Jarinje and Brnjak border control in early August. By the time of Merkel’s arrival clashes have been restrained. Serbian President Boris Tadić urged Serbian Kosovars to dispose of their roadblocks and peaceful protest while Albanian Kosovars agreed to the status quo of Serb border control on both the Jarinje and Brnjak borders.
“KFOR se povukao iz Rudara”. Vecernje Novosti Onlie. accessed July 29, 2011. http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/naslovna/aktuelno.69.html:339757-KFOR-se-povukao-iz-Rudara
“Merkel o Beogradu o Kosovu, Evropi i ekonomiji”. Novi Magacin. accessed August 21, 2011. http://www.novimagazin.rs
“Ekonomska veza Beograda i Berlina”. PTC, Radio-televizija Srbije. August 22, 2011.http://www.rts.rs
Serbia: Internal Reaction
Merkel stated that she expected Serbia to halt the continuance of parallel institutions in Kosovo. This statement became a hot button issue following the visit. Such institutions include but are not limited to education, health and local government establishments. Following the Chancellor’s statement, Kosovo and Metohia’s (K and M) Minister Goran Bogdanović stated that Serbia plans on continuing to offer its services across the K and M region and will do so with utmost determination. Bogdanović maintained that the very existence of said organizations guarantees the wellbeing being of the Serb population in the region and posed that, in fact, it were Priština’s institutions that were parallel and illegitimate. Serbia’s institutions were after all, as the Minister asserted, democratically elected.
Goran Arsić, head of the Kosovo district based in Gračanica, agreed with Bogdanovic and confirmed that health, education and governmental services were the only institutions linking Kosovar Serbs to Belgrade. Arsić added that, should this worst case scenario occur, Serbs could not stand by silently while witnessing the closure or their trusted establishments.
Tomislav Nikolic expressed that it would be in Tadić’s best interest to hold a governmental meeting where Merkel’s, and by extension the European Union’s (EU) requests presented to Tadić could be discussed. Nikolic is the leader of Serbia’s Progressive Party (SNS) and presidential contender for the upcoming presidential elections of June 2012. Nikolic solidified his party’s stance and assured that it was unacceptable that Serbia withdraws its institutions from K and M. President Tadić, member of the Democratic Party (DS), meanwhile seeks to appease all sides by assuring Kosovar Serbs that he has no intentions of abandoning the Serbian people who reside in K and M territories. Serbia is not planning to give up its EU membership aspirations.
“Tadić: Srbia neče napustiti svoj narod na KiM i neče odustati od evrointegracija”. Politika Online. accessed August 27, 2011.http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/tema-dana/TadicPostoji-mogucnost-da-ne-dobijemo-status-kandidata.lt.html
“Srpske institucije garant opstanka Srba na KiM”. Politika Online. accessed August 27, 2011. http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Politika/Srpske-institucije-garant-opstanka-Srba-na-KiM.lt.html
Sandžak
The Bosniak National Council is debating the possibility of receiving the same minority rights as does the autonomous region of Vojvodina. Džudžević Esad, Chairman of the Executive board for the Bosnian National Council (BNV) said that Bosniak heritage and culture is deteriorating and collapsing due to inadequate governmental response despite and/or due to the BNV’s request for protection thereof. Džudžević thus suggested that the BNV ought to possess full autonomy so as to preserve their culture and customs in the Sandžak region. The chairman has no intentions of politicizing the institution. Prior to the BNV’s bid for full autonomy, the cultural committee condemned police and city administration abuse of authority as well as islamophobia in the region of Sandžak. Various forms of intimidation, humiliation and pressure were exerted, according to the Elektronske Novine Sandžak Press, on those who observe as well as supporters of the Islamic faith. The report was released just three days before īd al-fitr (feast of fast breaking at the end of Ramadān), a canonical festival in the Islamic year.
Politika Online reported that the Sandžak experiences a growing number of persons who practice Islam in accordance with Wahhābīsm. Individuals who formerly resided in Austria, Germany as well as Bosnia are now though to move to the Sandžak region while monetary supply and support, according to the news agency, is coming from Saudi Arabia. Sarajevo is thought to have had relations with Riyadh since the Yugoslav wars in the 1990’s. While a majority of mujahedeen fighters left the area following the end of the conflicts, some who married Bosnian women and stayed in the region. These individuals are believed to carry out missionary work with aid from Saudi Arabia.
“Bečki ‘Prese’: Vehabije se sele u Sandžak”. Politika Online. accessed August 28, 2011.http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/vesti-dana/Bechki-Prese-Vehabije-se-sele-u-Sandzak.lt.html
“Islamophobia i nasilnižko ponašanje čelnih ljudi Gradske uprave Novi Pazar”. Elektronske Novine Sandžak Press. accessed August 26, 2011. http://sandzakpress.net/islamofobija-i-nasilnicko-ponasanje-celnih-ljudi-gradske-uprave-novi-pazar
“Sandžak: Ista prava kao u Vojvodini”. B92. accessed August 27, 2011. http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2011&mm=08&dd=22&nav_id=536644
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