Mladjan Dinkic: Playing the ‘B’ Side

The enfant terrible of Serbian politics decided to shake up the sleepy Serbian government when he said openly on local TV 5 that key decisions were not taken within the government building.

“We should stop fooling ourselves - Prime Minister Cvetkovic does not have the power to do anything. The decisions makers are not in government ministries” said Dinkic in a statement that caused turmoil in Serbian politics.

Prime Minister Cvetkovic reacted surprisingly quickly, announcing at a press conference that he had decided to relieve Mr Dinkic of the positions of deputy prime minister and minister for the economy.

“The government can not work anymore with people like Dinkic” said Mr Cvetkovic.

Equally surprisingly, Dinkic accepted that decision and said that he would resign together with Verica Kalanovic, minister of national investment plan, who is also a member of Dinkic’s G17+ party.

“If people think that new investment in the Serbian economy and new jobs for the people are not enough, then OK, I will go, but we will continue to support government in order to strengthen the process of EU accession” said Dinkic.

From 2001, when he became governor of the National bank of Serbia, Dinkic has been an important figure in all governments. He formed the G17+ party in 2003 and when he was removed as National Bank Governor, he succeeded in bringing down the government. He did the same thing in 2007 when he left the position of minister of finance.  

His reaction this time may reflect a weakening of his power base. Analysts say that he doesn’t have support for his ideas among the opposition and that this explains why he continues to support the current administration. His party too seems to be floundering and would be unable, according to public opinion surveys, to garner enough support to make it into parliament if elections were held today.

Irrespective of his continued support for the government, his attack on Mr Tadic’s associates will not be easily forgotten.

But whilst he waits for his enemies to make their next move he can perhaps seek consolation in his music. The Serbian association of composers announced that Mr Dinkic’s songs, written for a range of different singers, were among the ten most broadcast in Serbia in 2010, earning him around €3,000 in royalty payments.
“I can not believe it, I’m surprised” Mr Dinkic said when told of the news.