Tadic Wins, the West Continues to Feel Good About Itself
Well, Europe can breathe easier tonight, knowing that a “pro-Western reformer” has won the presidency of Serbia, as opposed to a “hard-line nationalist.” So get out the party hats and wheel in the cake!Almost as farcical as the notion that the West actually cares about anything more than maintaining its own self-image of the dutiful chaperone in regards to Serbia was the reaction of the losing candidate, the Radical Party’s Tomislav Nikolic. According to Belgrade’s Vecernje Novosti, Nikolic congratulated the winner, Boris Tadic of the Democratic Party, then added:
“…Boris Tadic won because of the minority votes. They [Tadic’s campaign] scared them. My radicals, keep your heads up, I congratulate all of you for our wins in almost all places in Serbia, except in those places where the priests told the people that they will cut their arm off if they vote for me.”
Nikolic also blamed the media, claiming that they were on Tadic’s side, singling out TV B92.
Meanwhile, all the right people were prepared to speak all the right words. “I congratulate your election as President of Serbia, said Svetozar Marovic, the somewhat redundant President of the Serbia & Montenegro union, “and I wish you to do everything about your promises for a European program, and to make all the wishes of the Serbian people to come true.” As if Tadic were some sort of a fairy godmother.
The Western press rehashes were delightfully original, as usual. Reuters did it’s best to speak for an entire culture when it pronounced, “…Serbia turned its back on a generation of right-wing chauvinism and looked forward on Monday to a clear path to the European mainstream under the leadership of newly elected president Boris Tadic, a pro-Western liberal.”
The widow of Zoran Djindjic, the deceased prime minister (and somehow, the current shining beacon of Serbia), also congratulated not only Tadic but the citizens of Serbia themselves for electing Boris Tadic. In her own words, Ruzica Djindjic said that she “felt like a winner” and “like my husband would feel now” were he still alive. It was as if she were congratulating them on passing a basic aptitude test, by recognizing “what is good for Serbia.”
Such comments only reaffirm the depressing pointlessness of the election. Although there is nothing particularly “radical” about Nikolic, he has long able to claim a sort of rebel status simply because of Euro-opposition that has trickled down into opposition, or at least lack of support, from domestic heavyweights. So whereas Nikolic’s reasonably strong showing among rank-and-file Serbs indicates populist appeal, he failed to win over the king makers- people like millionaire businessman Bogoljub Karic, who according to an angry Nikolic last week changed his position out of fear that the West would crush his formidable business empire were he not to support Tadic.
Whether or not this was indeed the case, a relieved Tadic pronounced immediately after the election that “…now Serbia has a guarantee that it will proceed along a democratic path,” according to Tanjug.
As for the victor, Tadic enjoyed his win amidst downtown celebrations and brass bands in the streets, but also conceded that “Serbia expects very difficult times ahead,” and that he “doesn’t want to lie to the people.”
Indeed, now the hard part begins- as Vojislav Kostunica found out almost 4 years ago, when the West cheered on his ouster of Slobodan Milosevic (who the West has ceaselessly equated with the hapless Nikolic), only to suffer constant strong-arming and headaches from them later on over the Hague, Kosovo and other issues. These issues have remained, and the Kosovo one has become more urgent than ever. With the 50/50 possibility of a John Kerry administration emerging in the US in November, Serbian diplomatic leeway is set to contract further as interested parties seek to sever Montenegro, Kosovo and whatever else is capable of being separated from the country.
Even without these headaches, the economic situation, above all, needs urgent attention. So while it might be a wonderful thing, ideally, to win a presidential election, it is arguable whether being elected president of Serbia right now is an enviable situation. The party could be over before it even begins.