The issue of national identity is taken seriously by Balkan people – including the least serious among them.
Happy Birthday Mr President, And Thank You For the Gas
| 15 January 2009 | By Slobodan Georgijev in Belgrade
Appearing as deus ex machina in the middle of the gas crisis to negotiate a temporary gas supply deal for Serbs, then giving some as a gift to neighbouring Bosnia, the Serbian president reinforced his image as a crafty, efficient and imaginative regional leader.
Tadic, who was born in Sarajevo and turns 51 this week, is already in his fifth year as Serbia’s president, and he seems likely to keep the post for at least another five. He holds in his hands more power that anyone else in Serbia’s modern history, save perhaps the late autocrat Slobodan Milosevic.
His main political rival, the former prime minister Vojislav Kostunica, imagined himself as the representative of Serbia as it is: inward-looking, suspicious and grumpy. But Tadic represents Serbia as he wants it to be: standing tall, smiling broadly and wearing a well-tailored suit.
With his boyish good looks, few faux-pas or scandals denting his public image and a consistent, if muddled line on the country’s strategic goals of ‘both European Union and Kosovo’ , he is Serbia’s most popular and most trusted politician.
The opposition comments almost daily about what they say is a concentration of power that is leading Serbia towards authoritarianism.
They say current PM Mirko Cvetkovic is merely a proxy of Tadic, who is the one who really pulls the strings in the government.
Tadic is “the president, prime minister, minister, commander - in-chief, all wrapped into one,” opposition firebrand Velimir Ilic said this week.
Tadic rejects all similar suggestions. “I have an open door policy,” he has said.
Tadic’s opponents also like to attack his intellect and insinuate that he has ties to powerful media houses which give him an easy ride, all of which he denies.
“Everything he does is pure spin,” commented Andreja Mladenovic from the Democratic Party of Serbia.
But even his more bitter rivals cannot deny that Tadic has a gift for communication, charm and a certain levelheadedness that has made him a boon for Serbia’s battered imaged around the world.
His main political rival, the former prime minister Vojislav Kostunica, imagined himself as the representative of Serbia as it is: inward-looking, suspicious and grumpy. But Tadic represents Serbia as he wants it to be: standing tall, smiling broadly and wearing a well-tailored suit.
With his boyish good looks, few faux-pas or scandals denting his public image and a consistent, if muddled line on the country’s strategic goals of ‘both European Union and Kosovo’ , he is Serbia’s most popular and most trusted politician.
The opposition comments almost daily about what they say is a concentration of power that is leading Serbia towards authoritarianism.
They say current PM Mirko Cvetkovic is merely a proxy of Tadic, who is the one who really pulls the strings in the government.
Tadic is “the president, prime minister, minister, commander - in-chief, all wrapped into one,” opposition firebrand Velimir Ilic said this week.
Tadic rejects all similar suggestions. “I have an open door policy,” he has said.
Tadic’s opponents also like to attack his intellect and insinuate that he has ties to powerful media houses which give him an easy ride, all of which he denies.
“Everything he does is pure spin,” commented Andreja Mladenovic from the Democratic Party of Serbia.
But even his more bitter rivals cannot deny that Tadic has a gift for communication, charm and a certain levelheadedness that has made him a boon for Serbia’s battered imaged around the world.
