Belgrade – A Young Democracy
Ten years ago, 21st February 1997. Zoran Djindjic became the first modern, democratic mayor of Belgrade. This event came as one of the results after several months of protests after the Milosevic’s regime tried to cheat on the local parliamentary elections in 1996.
This date may not be so important in world perspective, but observed locally, it had great impact and significance for the city of Belgrade and Serbia in whole. It showed that the citizens protest and citizen disobedience can make a change and it allowed for Zoran Djindjic to profile himself politically. Those that worked with him in that period saw for the first time his manager abilities and they talk about it with great pleasure and admiration for the speed and agility he had in solving problems that were actual in the city that time. Of the more visible ones, maybe the bicycle path remained as the best remembered, the sad thing is not a lot has been done since on improving it. In the short six months of Djindjic’s management over Belgrade, the city tax has been canceled, number of buses donated from Germany, and free cinema plays for kids made possible.
Unfortunately, the tensions and arguments inside the local ruling coalition, SPO and DS made his rule a short one, and the following SPO city management was remembered as one of the most corrupted ones in recent Belgrade history.
Still, it is always necessary to remember those that managed to move things forward in Serbia’s history, and Djindjic was one of those people, first as the mayor of Belgrade and three years later, as the prime minister of Serbia.
In that name, the exhibition of photographs and video documents from that time will be held the following week at the city hall.
If you want to know more about Zoran Djindjic i suggest that you download the free .avi file here or here (size: approx 200 MB) with his speeches during one campaign. The english translation for the film (there may be some mistakes but i tried to make it as close to the original as possible) can be found here.
Interesting story behind this movie is that there was an well organized guerrilla action of copying and sharing the disc for free all over Serbia two years ago so that everybody could see and hear Djindjic for the true visionary he was. Unfortunately it seems that this is necessary even today.
Tweet
A hidden comedic gem
Ghetto – the secret life of Belgrade
Gaddafi’s Interview for Serbian TV Pink
The stupidity test
Really!??? I can hardly believe this “homage” to the prime quisling of Serbia. But maybe I’m beginning to know what this site is really all about, and it ain’t pretty…
Guardian
To say that Djindjic was a quisling is politicaly very immature. But i don’t expect you to know better – since you don’t speak Serbian, as i understood, you are condemned sometimes to trust articles like the one you quoted.
Try learning Serbian to get all perspectives, if you don’t like the perspective i present here.
Most people know that the term “quisling” is a reference to Vidkun Quisling, the Norwegian politician who staged a pro-Nazi coup d’etat when Germany invaded Norway in 1940. Before 1940, his political party was quite marginal, with about 2000 members. He remained in power as long as the Nazis kept him there, and after the war was tried for treason and executed. That is to say, Mr Quisling came to power illegally and his life was ended (whatever position you may have on capital punishment) legally. The differences between him and Zoran Djindjic could not possibly be greater.
Mislis da ne znam srpski? To se varas. Znam srpski od prilike toliko koliko ti znas engleski. Neil Clark je vrlo postovan novinar i nije pao sa kruske. Ima jedna velika razlika izmedju dve vrste ljudi u Srbiji — oni koji sami sebe postuju i vrednuju srpski narod u celini jer znaju da nije onakav kao sto ih je zapad opisao, pa ima onih koji bi stojili i cekali u redu, ako treba, da li_u zapadu d__e, dali zbog sebe-mrznje ili iz jos goreg razloga, da sebi pune djepove. Zna se od koje vrste je bio Djindjic — ljubio je ruku Madelaine Albrightu! Dosta receno.
A fitting epitaph to Zoran Djindjic.
http://www.antiwar.com/malic/m031203.html
Well I was amongst the most critical of Djindjic whilst he was alive but nobody can say that he didnt get things done. He provided the engine that Serbia has lacked in the last few years.
The 1996 victory was the first serious nail in the coffin of Milosevic government which experienced a somewhat humbling experience – being forced to back down by public revolt. It is historic and worthy of note, as is Djindjic’s role in it.
Blackbird stop being so suspicious about Viktor and the site generally. Although none of us believe say for example that the Radical Party would do Serbia much good, we disagree on plenty of issues.
A common mistake made by hardline supporters of the so called ‘patriotic’ and ‘democratic’ block is to split the country into 2 implacable groups. This is not the case. If we have to divide the country along these political lines there are at least 3 or 4 Serbias, its not about quislings and patriots.
Neil Clark is a hardline leftist with ultra right wing leanings – for example he supports the death penalty. His friendship with Mirjana Markovic and the corrupt JUL party has been documented. He is also a fully paid up member of the simplistic black / white view. Frankly, using Clarks black / white view of the world I really wonder.
By that I mean I really wonder why he is paid by the anti Serbian Guardian newspaper. This newspaper supports the independence of Kosovo and the independence of Bosnia. I wonder if it crosses his mind that he is taking money from a newspaper that headlined with Markale Market Massacre caused by Serbs and named Serbs as genocidal.Where is the principle in that?
Of course I personally dont see life this way, it is much more in tune with his thinking than mine.
Yeah, Neil Clark and I don’t walk arm in arm either. But a lot of journalists nowadays work for newspapers that hold opposing views to theirs, and in fact a lot of newspapers are considered to be one way on an issue but then contradict themselves from time to time. They probably allow a decending viewpoint in their publications occasionally so as to give an apperance of “objectivity” although they simply come off as inconsistent.
I notice you didn’t have one thing to say against Malic’s piece. I don’t think there is anything to be said. Malic has always held up the well being of Serbia against the machinations of the “Empire”, the West, in its domination over Serbia. You guys can approve of Djindjic all you want but I very much agree with Malic. It’s not like I never read a Serbian paper, plus I am in constant contact with Serbs in Serbia, and my opinion of Djindjic is an informed one and cannot be simply dismissed as though I were ignorant. I am aware of the many different camps in Serbia’s politics, but I am also aware of how manipulated the people have been by paid-under-the-table politicians in power and by NGO-sponsored groups. Serbia has allowed foreign interest to masquerade in Serbia as organizations “helping” Serbia when they are furthering only their own “western” agendas and don’t give a fig about Serbia’s actual interests and these groups and their influx of westerners to man them look a lot “sexier” to a certain generation of Serbs than old Serbia does. That’s the problem with a completely materialistic point of view (and this is all based on materialism). I repeat an earlier question: wasn’t Communism materialistic and isn’t that what you’re supposed to be getting away from?
‘wasn’t Communism materialistic and isn’t that what you’re supposed to be getting away from?’
I thought capitalism was materialistic! What do you mean by this question?
‘But a lot of journalists nowadays work for newspapers that hold opposing views to theirs’
Yeah its ok with me too. But I dont have a judgmental view on others. My point is that when you hold somebody up to a high standard you have to abide by that same standard (or at least make an attempt) otherwise the argument becomes hollow. Its all very well for somebody to criticse somebody taking money from somebody else but if they take money from the same person and keep quiet about it then its all about taking people (readers) for a ride. I dont like being manipulated.
Your criticism of NGO’s is ok to a point although there are less and less of them. They too are not all images of somebody elses agenda. There are health NGO’s, there are NGO’s which help refugees, that really help refugees, there are charity NGO’s set up to help societies disadvantaged. Money from donors going to Serbia continues to be reduced in line with the transition process. Once it is completed more NGO’s will close. There will be no need for some of them. They are not the root of all evil. The government plays a far more influential role in Serbian society in my opinion.
I didnt mention the Malic piece because I havent had time to read it by the way. I will take a look at it but a bit busy at the moment.