Contributors ROBERT ČOBAN DUŠKA JOVANIĆ LJILJANA VUJIĆ
Print
BIROGRAF COMP D.O.O. Zemun, Atanasija Pulje 22
Distribution PRETPLATA D.O.O. office@pretplata.rs +381 11 314 99 21
COLOR MEDIA EVENTS
Published by: Color Media Events d.o.o. 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia Temerinska 102 VAT: 113769690 Reg. No: 21922978 Belgrade Office: Vlajkovićeva 6 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Phone: + 381 63 432 392
CIP – Katalogizacija u publikaciji Biblioteka Matice Srpske, Novi Sad 33
Diplomacy & Commerce / glavni i odgovorni urednik: Dragan Nikolić, 2016, (mart)-.Novi Sad: Color Media Events, 2016 - , -33cm Mesečno ISSN 2466-3808 = Diplomacy & Commerce COBISS.SR-ID 303269895
AMBASSADOR’S INTERVIEW VERY FRAGILE AND DIVIDED STATE H.E. ALEKSANDAR VRANJEŠ
Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia
8
FEATURED INTERVIEW THE RELATIONS BETWEEN SERBIA AND HUNGARY REACHED THE HISTORICAL MAXIMUM BÁLINT JUHÁSZ
President of the AP Vojvodina Assembly
15
FOCUS ON PARIS 2024
18
FEATURED INTERVIEW BOŽIDAR MALJKOVIĆ
President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia
20 TRAVELOGUE VIVE LA RÉVOLUTION! by Robert Čoban
49 MEDIA INTERVIEW THE JOURNALIST ALEKSANDAR TIMOFEJEV
Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of NIN
52
BUSINESS INTERVIEW EVEN IF WE DON’T WANT TO CHANGE, THE WORLD IS CHANGING PROFESSOR DR. ZORANA Z. MIHAJLOVIĆ
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
31
FOCUS ON REAL ESTATE
34
FEATURED INTERVIEW GORAN VESIĆ Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure
58 INTERVIEW WILL WE LIVE AS FREE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY? ALEKSANDAR JOVANOVIĆ ĆUTA Environmental activist and politician
Croissant for breakfast?
During the first week of the Olympic Games, I rode my bike every day from the centre of Paris to La Villette Park, where the Serbian House is located and near where our hotel is situated, thinking about the racial issue in France. On Boulevard de Sébastopol in its upper part, closer to Gare de l’Est, it is almost impossible to see a white person on the sidewalks. Migrants from Africa or French-born individuals whose parents are of African descent sit or stand on the streets, listen to music, have fun... The atmosphere is more similar to that on the streets of Dakar than just a few kilometres away on Rue de Rivoli.
As I rode my bike, I thought about why the rightwing gained so much in the first round of the recent elections and how it scared the others into mostly voting for the left in the second round. I watched the first episode of the 2018 series “The Romanoffs” again. In this scene, Anushka, a French woman of Russian descent whose ancestors allegedly belonged to the Romanov imperial family, lives in a huge salon apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower. The apartment, she says, was bought in the 19th century by Roman, one of the numerous illegitimate sons of Tsar Paul I. “He liked it there because he could hear the sound of the guillotine,” Anushka says. One day, the agency sends her a housekeeper—a young, beau-
tiful girl with a covered head, a French native but of Algerian descent. To avoid spoiling what happened by the end of the episode for those who haven’t watched it, here is a dialogue where Anushka speaks to her young housekeeper: “We defeated you at Tours in 732. In 1204, we leveled Constantinople, not Istanbul. We defeated you in Jaffa, Damascus, and Beirut. We took Jerusalem from you and gave it to the Jews. In 1693, we permanently pushed you back at Vienna. To celebrate our victory, we took the symbol from your flag and made this (Anushka takes a croissant from the plate). And every day we laugh when we eat you for breakfast!” (Anushka bites into the croissant and laughs).
Upon returning from Paris, I was met with news of bloody riots in England targeting migrants and Muslims. In England, which always seemed to me like a country that somehow better integrated its Indians, Pakistanis, and Africans into its society. I often discuss this topic with friends and on television shows. When it comes to migration, I am one of those who believe that mixing populations is good for both society and the economy. However, if you come from your societies in Africa and Asia to a European country because life is better there, then while preserving your characteristics and traditions, you must accept the standards of behaviour of the society you have come to. Because if it were better where you came from, you would have stayed there, not come to Paris, Hamburg, or Milan. It is similar in our cities of Belgrade and Novi Sad, for example. Kusturica once stated that trains full of poets and basketball players used to come to Belgrade from Montenegro. This, of course, enriched Belgrade, but it is important that those newcomers while preserving their tradition, accept the standards of living in the society they have come to. Because they came precisely because it is better there. And not to reduce it to the standards of the society they fled from—which is often the case.
Robert Čoban
Very Fragile and Divided State
The issue is that the political sphere is the focus of the media, creating the impression that the political disagreements among BiH’s leaders are so dominant in public discourse that no one else thinks about anything else
ALEKSANDAR VRANJEŠ
Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia
While the citizens of the two countries and the entire region live in perfect harmony, official politics continuously creates conflicts and fails to reach agreements. What are the current relations between Serbia and BiH, and how can political differences be bridged? How does deeply divided Bosnia and Herzegovina function and implement its foreign policy when there are numerous disagreements between entities? Read all about it in the latest interview with the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia, His Excellency Aleksandar Vranješ.
INDICATORS ARE CONFIRMING THE THESIS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEAVING, BASED ON THE VIEW THAT THE UNSTABLE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SITUATION IN BIH INCREASES UNCERTAINTY
How do you manage to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in a situation where the positions of the entity you come from (RS) often do not align with the positions of certain officials from the Federation of BiH and at the state level?
Like many other issues related to Bosnia and Herzegovina, this one is quite complicated. First, let
me clarify that the focus here is not on the positions of the entities but on the decision-making process within the Presidency of BiH. The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina stipulates that the Presidency of BiH is responsible for conducting foreign policy. Therefore, any foreign policy decision that the three members of the Presidency agree upon and adopt
by consensus becomes binding for both the BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs and the ambassadors. This applies in the opposite direction as well. If there is no consensus and the Presidency has not made a decision, this means that BiH does not have a position, and the minister and ambassadors should remain abstained on the matter. The problem arises when abuses occur, and the Bosniak political stance is presented as the position of the entire BiH, which is simply not the case in a deeply divided state where the three constituent nations should be politically equal. But these abuses and the appropriation of the entire BiH by the Bosniak political elite have been a practice for decades, leading to even greater division in a very
fragile and divided state community. For example, the Presidency of BiH never adopted a decision for BiH to join in drafting and later voting on the Resolution on Srebrenica, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly. This was a Bosniak abuse where the member of the Presidency of BiH, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, and the BiH Ambassador to the UN deceived partner states voting for the Resolution into believing it was a unified interest of BiH, not just the individual interest of one constituent nation. Ultimately, when you constantly have such abuses, it is clear that Serbian ambassadors to BiH will position themselves as representatives of the Serbian constituent nation and Republika Srpska, rather than of the entire BiH. But I emphasize that this is a defensive reaction to long-standing Bosniak abuses of the BiH foreign policy mechanism for the political interest of only one constituent nation.
Before Belgrade, you were the Ambassador of BiH in Zagreb. You spent a turbulent period there marked by the coronavirus pandemic and earthquakes in Croatia. What are your memories of that time?
The experience was quite unusual. Initially, I expected the mandate to be very relaxed given that I was going to a neighboring country and a familiar city, but COVID and the earthquakes significantly altered that picture. For example, at the beginning of my mandate, I met almost the entire diplomatic corps in Zagreb, but after several months of COVID restrictions, distancing, canceled receptions, and meetings, when things started to normalize, half of the ambassadors had changed. Ambassadors left without farewell receptions, new ones arrived without introductory visits, and when we finally returned to regular diplomatic activities, instead of old acquaintances, most receptions had new faces. Ultimately, this was no different in other countries.
Regarding activities, I am proud to say that I facilitated financial assistance from Republika Srpska to the Serbian community in Croatia according to the available resources. The RS Government and President Dodik donated 10 houses to families affected by the earthquake in Banija, provided funds for the reconstruction of Orthodox Cathedral in Zagreb, financed the construction of an old school building within the Jasenovac Monastery, etc.
NOT ALL CITIZENS OF BIH ARE SO BURDENED BY POLITICAL DIVISIONS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS
As for bilateral relations with Croatia, we had very correct communication. During this time, the primary issue in our relations was the amendment of the BiH Electoral Law to prevent further marginalization and majorization of the Croatian constituent nation in BiH, which Zagreb was particularly interested in. Unfortunately, this issue remains unresolved to this day as the Bosniak political elite simply does not allow for a mechanism in the Electoral Law to prevent Bosniaks from electing a Croatian member of the Presidency by outvoting Croatian voters, so this matter is still open.
Another important issue during my mandate in Zagreb, which is still unresolved, concerns Croatia’s intention to build a nuclear waste repository near the border with BiH, in the watershed of the protected Una River. Unfortunately, this issue has also not been resolved, which only highlights how slowly processes for resolving open issues move in this region.
As a young person and a parent, how do you view the future for upcoming generations in BiH, given that statistics show this part of the Western Balkans is emptying even faster than others with similar negative trends?
Indicators are confirming the thesis that young people are leaving, based on the view that the un-
countries offer an initial salary of 3000 EUR. It turns out that we are effectively funding the healthcare systems of developed countries. Typically, ambassadors respond that their specialists also go to other countries for better salaries. In other words, some embassies act as scouts for experts and workforce from BiH and then reproach us for allowing young people to leave. It is completely paradoxical. Of course, I agree that we need to improve overall economic stability, which is in the hands of the political elites in BiH, to provide a better life for all citizens. But even when that happens, it will be difficult to compete with the “outrageous offers” coming from the EU.
What are your communications like within the diplomatic community in Belgrade, which “Diplomacy & Commerce” regularly monitors? How does this compare to the diplomatic scene in Sarajevo and Zagreb? Which diplomats in Belgrade do you remember the most?
stable economic and political situation in BiH increases uncertainty, which in turn leads to decisions to leave BiH in search of safer and more promising opportunities in other countries. And I am sure that this assessment, which we often hear in the media, is largely accurate. However, in my conversations within the diplomatic corps, when this topic comes up, I like to broaden my perspective on this problem from another angle. Doesn’t it seem a bit hypocritical if one country criticizes the authorities in BiH for doing nothing to prevent the emigration of young people, while at the same time, that same country keeps its doors wide open to our citizens, offering them many benefits and opportunities to come to their country to compensate for their labor shortages? So, when I find myself in such discussions, I usually ask those ambassadors why they don’t close the doors to our citizens, and they won’t be able to leave; they will stay in BiH. It sounds simplistic, but how can the economy of BiH compete with the salaries offered to our citizens in some EU member states? Imagine a situation where our talented student completes medical school on a state scholarship, then receives further training and specialization funded by public funds, and as a qualified doctor is employed in our hospitals with a salary of, say, 1500 EUR, while some developed EU
As I mentioned, most of my mandate in Zagreb was affected by COVID restrictions, so it’s difficult for me to make a comparison with Belgrade. In any case, diplomatic life in Belgrade is very intense, which is not surprising considering its long tradition. It has been exactly one year since I presented my credentials to President Vučić, and I can say that I have managed to meet a large number of colleagues from the diplomatic corps and establish good communication. If I were to highlight a few diplomats with whom I have communication, I would say that I always enjoy meeting with the ambassadors of Hungary, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Greece, Cyprus, Belgium, Turkey, the Czech Republic (who recently left Belgrade), Slovakia, Poland, North Macedonia, and many others. I always appreciate exchanging views with them and at least partially trying to clarify the complex system and relationships in BiH.
Colleague Ljiljana Smajlović wrote in the editorial of “Nedeljnik” last year: “If we ever reconcile, it won’t be in the summer,” alluding to the fact that tensions between Bosniaks and Serbs rise every July over the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre in 1995, and in August between Croats and Bosniaks over the anniversary of Operation Storm in 1995. How can we reach a situation where, like other
European nations, we spend July and August only discussing vacation plans and how people enjoyed their holidays?
If we focus on the political sphere, you are right. However, I would emphasize that not all citizens of BiH are so burdened by political divisions and misunderstandings. Most of them, like in other countries, think about vacations in July and August, and there is not much difference compared to people in the region and beyond. The issue is that the political sphere is the focus of the media, creating the impression that the political disagreements among BiH’s leaders are so dominant in public discourse that no one else thinks about anything else. Of course, this is not the case, and ordinary people primarily focus on everyday life. Politics is present in daily life, but not nearly as much as we might perceive from the media or social networks.
When we return to the political sphere and the recurring disagreements year after year, we need to consider a few more perspectives. During the civil war in BiH, leading authorities on international relations in the US believed that BiH could not be constituted as a state and advocated for a division rather than the creation of a unified state. For example, Henry Kissinger stated two months before the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995: “There is no Bosnian language, there is no Bosnian culture. Bosnia is an administrative unit
consisting of Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks, artificially created in the former Yugoslavia, which Western powers foolishly recognized as a state (...) If you look at Serbian history, for 600 years they fought not to be dominated by Muslims (...) So I believe what we should do is create a Muslim state or recognize a Muslim state, allow other nation-
alities to become independent or join Croatia and Serbia, depending on the case, rather than getting involved in a Balkan war that cannot end, even if we win it.” Nearly thirty years later, we can question whether Kissinger was right and why the concept he advocated, along with John Mearsheimer, Stephen Van Evera, Robert Pape,
and others, was rejected outright in favor of creating a state at any cost. Unfortunately, their diagnosis was not accepted, and the process of creating a state involved freezing the conflict, often bypassing the provisions of the Dayton Agreement and creating a black-andwhite image of good and bad actors from Bosnia and Herzegovina. This has led to significant divisions, which also manifest in the domain of commemorations for war victims. For example, today no one has been criminally charged for the killing of 3,267 Serbian civilians from the Srebrenica and Bratunac regions from 1992 to 1995, while the suffering of Bosniak soldiers in Srebrenica in July 1995 is proclaimed as the symbol of the civil war. How can the practice of double standards and different valuations of victims lead to reconciliation?
And then when the EU Delegation in BiH went to Bratunac last month to pay tribute to these innocent Serbian civilian victims, it was met with numerous attacks from the Bosniak political elite. According to Bosniak narratives, the international community should not, even three decades after the war, pay tribute to Serbian civilian victims of the civil war. Given such a situation, it is not surprising that every summer is quite turbulent. Someone has decided that mothers who lost their sons in the war are not equal in their grief, and this does not contribute to reconciliation.
Where do you see the underutilized potential for improving economic cooperation between BiH and Serbia?
Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of Serbia’s main foreign trade partners. The trade exchange is already at a high level, but of course, there is still room for improving economic cooperation. Unfortunately, politics has also interfered in this aspect, so efforts are being made from Sarajevo to block major projects such as the construction of the Buk Bijela hydropower plant, which represents a joint energy project between the electric utilities of the Republic of Srpska and Serbia, valued at around 250 million euros. Sadly, even such an important project faces political blockades in Sarajevo. In any case, the Republic of Serbia has shown readiness to expand the scope of economic cooperation with BiH, and we hope to find a way to ensure that political disagreements in BiH do not affect the enhancement of economic cooperation with any country.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA IS ONE OF SERBIA’S MAIN FOREIGN TRADE PARTNERS
The Relations Between Serbia and Hungary Reached the Historical Maximum
The policies of multiculturalism, a country opts for, are vital for the preservation of multiculturalism, and ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity
BÁLINT JUHÁSZ
President of the AP Vojvodina Assembly
In front of Balint Juhas' office in the Assembly of Vojvodina, there are flags of 11 national communities living in the Province. Since 2008, through coalition agreements first with the Democratic Party, the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina, and the SPS, and since 2016 with the SNS and SPS, the left build-
ing of the Brašovan complex in Banovina "belongs" to the majority ruling party, which appoints the President of the Provincial Government. From 2004 to 2016, this was Bojan Pajtić from the DS, from 2016 to 2024, Igor Mirović from the SNS, and since May 2024, Maja Gojković, also from the SNS. On the right, a smaller part of the Banovina complex is the Assembly of Vojvodina, which since 2008, according to coalition agreements, belongs to the Alli-
ance of Vojvodina Hungarians. Its leader from 2008 to 2012 was Šandor Egereši, and from 2012 until he died in 2023, the leader of that party, István Pásztor. After Pásztor died in 2023, the position was temporarily held for several months by the oldest MP, Momo Čolaković (born in 1940) from the Party of United Pensioners of Serbia, until after the elections in December 2023, Balint Juhas, also from the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, took the seat.
Balint Juhas welcomes me to the seating area where I previously held meetings with István Pásztor. He seems aware of the "big shoes" of his predecessor that he has stepped into and says he will continue all the good things István Pásztor started. We find common ground when it comes to cycling; both of us are pleased about the upcoming opening of the high-speed rail line between Novi Sad and Subotica, which will provide additional economic impetus to that part of Vojvodina and make it easier to visit towns like Mali Iđoš or Bačka Topola, which are on the route but have not often been on tourist maps.
HUNGARIANS AND SERBS HAVE LIVED TOGETHER FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, WITH EACH OTHER AND NEXT TO EACH OTHER
In the position of President of the AP Vojvodina Assembly, you have succeeded István Pásztor, who is considered the architect of good relations between the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), but also of personal relations between President Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, which led to the historically best relations between the two countries. From this position, what is your view on the relations between Serbia and Hungary, but also between Serbs and Hungarians in Vojvodina?
I look at the relations between the Republic of Serbia and Hungary through the prism of the responsibility of politics and politicians for making strategic decisions that have a long-term effect on the change in economic, political, and cultural relations between the two countries and two peoples. There are rare historical moments when politicians get the chance to make such decisions. It was one of these historical moments that István Pásztor recognised, thanks to which the processes of historical reconciliation between the two nations were initiated, which represented the foundation for
further improvement of relations in all spheres.
Serbia and Hungary have shown great political strength, the awareness that only accepting the truth about the common past can create a real foundation for the future. Hungarians and Serbs have lived together for a thousand years, with each other and next to each other. Over the centuries there have also been political alliances, historical conflicts, royal marriages, and great literary and personal friendships such as that of Ferenc Fehér and Miroslav Antić, the Matica Srpska was established in Budapest in 1826... In all the turning-point years for European history, such as 1456, 1697, as well as 1848, 1918, 1945, and 1956, regardless of whether we were on the same or opposite sides, we shared and still share a common history.
Today, we are discussing the historically best relations between the two countries for a reason. For example, Serbia has signed agreements on strategic partnerships with only eight countries in the world, and only with Hungary has it formed a Strategic Cooperation Council. It is up to our generation to continue walking in our predecessors’ footsteps and raise the bar of partnership. In this sense, by the competencies of the President of the APV Assembly, I will try to provide an institutional and personal contribution to the further strengthening of the ties between our two peoples.
In front of your office are 11 flags of the people living in Vojvodina. How is it possible to preserve the multiculturalism of Vojvodina under the circumstances of assimilation, and emigration of citizens who have EU passports and are mostly persons belonging to minority nations (Hungarians, Croats, Slovaks, Romanians..)?
To put it in one sentence: perspective, prosperity, and respect for the dignity of the citizens of Vojvodina, both of the persons belonging to the majority and all minority communities equally. Persons belonging to all 26 national communities living together in Vojvodina build their future in communities where we strive to provide the prerequisites for a decent and dignified life. Migrations are a part of life, it has always been like that, finally, Vojvodina was created as a European project of planned settlement in the 18th centurypartly using carriages, partly by
SINCE 2016, 16,500 PROJECTS HAVE BEEN
SUPPORTED THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AND MORE THAN 530 MILLION EUROS HAVE BEEN INVESTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VOJVODINA
the Danube, using wooden ships, so-called “Ulm boxes” with which today’s natives used to come.
It is indisputable that migration is an important political, economic, demographic, and cultural phenomenon, which affects the daily life of both the majority and minority communities. Migration flows in Serbia do not differ from the trends in most of Europe, especially in its central and eastern parts, where we witnessed mass
migrations especially in the first years after the accession of these countries to the EU. Today, both persons belonging to the majority and minority communities leave in search of a perspective. At first glance, the impression is that most of those leaving are those who possess the citizenship of one of the EU member states, although since the labour market, for instance in Germany, has been opened to citizens of third
countries, citizenship or passport is no longer a decisive factor. It is a legitimate matter of individual decisions and it is up to us to create such circumstances, that it is possible to have the standards of a good and decent life here.
Assimilation processes are natural, and there are numerous reasons, but it is important, with a secured future, to preserve the identity of the persons belonging to every, even the smallest, minority community, even when it seems that this is impossible. Regarding the preservation of the identity of persons belonging to minority communities, Serbia decided to promote minority selfgovernment embodied by national councils of national minorities that play a key role in the fields of education, culture, information, official use of language, and script. The work of the national councils is supported by significant funds from the budget, from municipal, through provincial to national levels. Funds are allocated from the APV Budget to support media in minority languages, and educational and cultural programs that preserve the traditions of minority communities and multicultural Vojvodina.
If I may dispense with false modesty and add that I believe that, in addition to the abovementioned, the eight-year activities of the “Prosperitati” Foundation have in part contributed to the families staying in their homeland.
The successful operation of this Foundation is the result of the efforts made by the political party the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, of which I am a proud member, in creating a strategy and work programme. You were the manager of the Prosperitati Foundation. To what extent do its operations impact Hungarians to stay, live, and create in their hometowns and villages in Vojvodina? Can you give us some statistical data?
To be frank, it is not usual for a minority party to deal with issues of economic development, but in constant contact with people on the field, this topic was imposed as an inevitability. István Pásztor understood that the question of the survival and future of persons belonging to the minority national community is complex, that it implies not only advocacy for the protection, preservation, and improvement of the body of minority and human rights but also the creation of economic prospects for families and communities. To that end, an economic development strategy and an action plan were drawn up on his initiative, supported by the Government of Hungary, and implemented by the “Prosperitati” Foundation. Since 2016, 16,500 projects have been supported through the economic development program and more than 530 million euros have been invested in the development of Vojvodina, of which 255 million euros have been provided from the Hungarian budget; 1,300 houses in the countryside were bought for young married couples, single mothers, about 3,000 microfamily businesses and almost 6,000 agricultural households with more than 12,500 workers were financed, more than 4,500 new jobs were opened and nearly 7,000 new businesses were started. Residents of 181 settlements from 39 out of a total of 45 Vojvodina local self-governments participated in the program and the implemented projects contributed to improving the position of at least 50,000 Vojvodina Hungarians.
It is important that at the moment of launching the “Prosperity” Foundation, President Aleksandar Vučić recognised its importance and gave full support to this program because the entire country enjoys the benefits and that is still the case today. New jobs are being opened, taxes are being paid to the state, and new value is being created. We do not claim that the above results mean a long-term
WE ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN THE HUNGARIAN LANGUAGE AT ALL LEVELS, FROM PRE-SCHOOL TO UNIVERSITY
solution to all economic problems, because it is not realistic for one minority party or foundation to solve them all. Our goal is rational, to provide some kind of a lure to those who intend to stay and progress in Vojvodina. It often happened that the measures of our program had a decisive influence on families staying and building a future in their homeland.
In the play titled “Once upon a Time in Novi Sad” by András Urbán in the Újvidéki Színház, the actress at one point makes an announcement in the language of the second most populous nation in Novi Sad and everyone expects it to be Hungarian, but she starts reading in Russian instead, because, over the past two years, Russians have come out on the second place in the city. Are you satisfied with the cooperation with state authorities when it comes to education? How many primary and secondary schools in Novi Sad hold classes in Hungarian?
The policies of multiculturalism, a country opts for, are vital for the preservation of multiculturalism, and ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity. The Novi
than a century, Novi Sad has proudly cherished the memory of the story that the famous Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy planned to spend his old age exactly at the Novi Sad address, at 35 Šafarikova Street. A note by Triva Militar, a well-known cultural worker, about “Preparations to welcome Leo Tolstoy in Novi Sad” is kept in Matica Srpska. Unfortunately, the great writer died before he became a citizen of Novi Sad.
We are committed to improving the quality of education in the Hungarian language at all levels, from pre-school to university. The Ministry has introduced a good practice to approve classes of five pupils/students as sufficient, respecting the principle of positive discrimination and applying affirmative measures. In recent years, all primary school classes with a smaller number of students have received approval from the Ministry, and the interests of our community have also been taken into account in cases of approval of secondary school classes. The hiring of teachers as well as the engagement of external experts, and members of the Hungarian national community, have also been approved.
Sad Theatre - Újvidéki Színház marked its first 50 years of work with a play “Once upon a time in Novi Sad”. This theatre is the only cultural institution in Novi Sad that bears the name of the city, and for which, as an institution of special importance for the National Council of the Hungarian National Minority, stable funding has been provided from the city budget, namely 142 million dinars for the year 2024. Since last year, the Hungarian Cultural Centre “Petőfi Sándor”, this time as a city’s cultural institution, has continued its work in a restored building in Telep, which is an indicator of how well the Hungarian community is established in Novi Sad’s cultural life and the city’s institutional structure.
It is not unusual that, in the complex geopolitical situation, families from Russia and Ukraine in Serbia, Vojvodina, and especially in Novi Sad, see a safe place for their families and professional prospects. A century ago, in the circumstances of war and revolution, an intellectually strong community of artists, professors, architects, and engineers from Russia came to Serbia and forever left their mark on science, education, and culture. For more
We are working intensively to complete the commenced process of partial transfer of founding rights of primary and secondary education institutions that are of particular importance for education in the Hungarian language to the National Council of the Hungarian National Minority.
In the territory of the city of Novi Sad, teaching in the Hungarian language takes place in four primary schools: “Sonja Marinković”, “Attila József”, “Petőfi Sándor” and “Ivo Andrić” in Budisava, as well as in five secondary schools: Secondary School of Medicine “7. April”, Grammar School “Svetozar Marković”, Agricultural School with student dormitory “Futog”, School of Design “Bogdan Šuput” and Electrical Engineering School “Mihajlo Pupin”.
In your opinion, what are the opportunities for the economy of Vojvodina? In what direction should it develop? Traditional agriculture, tourism, or new technologies Novi Sad has already become recognisable for? Since 1,499,521 ha of agricultural land is cultivated in Vojvodina, out of a total of 3,947,257 ha of available agricultural land in Serbia, it is logical that agriculture is the most important eco-
nomic sector. We are living in a time of great changes, the consequences of which cannot be avoided and will be felt not only by us but also by generations of our children. Therefore, it is important to choose the direction of economic and social development that will connect science, politics, and economy, as well as doing business in an economically profitable, ecologically acceptable, and socially just way of management.
There is no doubt that new technologies must serve economic development and preservation of life and health of people and that agriculture requires the introduction of scientific achievements suitable for the 21st century. For instance, six years ago, the first digital farm in Serbia and the region was opened in Krivaja, near Bačka Topola, which was designed by the “BioSense” Institute in cooperation with the agricultural producer “Krivaja”, within the ANTARES project.
Novi Sad has grown into one of the largest and most important regional IT centers. In our scientific and research centers, the latest trends that shape the future of artificial intelligence are also explored. The IT sector is experiencing dynamic growth and should continue in that direction. Tourism is also constantly growing; there is an increasing number of domestic and foreign tourists. We have high-quality accommodation capacities, the tourist infrastructure and the conditions for active vacations are improving, and bicycle paths are being built. At the same time, gastronomy and natural beauty are at an enviable level. On the other hand, various platforms, such as the platform Hello Vojvodina! which we brought to life thanks to the Prosperitati Foundation and experts in this field such as Dankó Dénes, who has recently received the Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina award, promote Vojvodina’s heritage as part of European and regional culture and tradition and improve the tourist offer. It is important for us that the economic and tourism development of Vojvodina is accompanied by appropriate protection of the historical and cultural heritage, to preserve the authentic architectural heritage of Vojvodina’s cities and smaller settlements.
We have started our conversation by noting that the relations between Serbia and Hungary
NOVI SAD HAS GROWN INTO ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT REGIONAL IT CENTERS
reached the historical maximum, which was also demonstrated through the strategic interstate project of the construction of the Belgrade-Budapest high-speed railway, which will be a strong impetus for the economic development of both countries. The construction of roads and supporting infrastructure is an important component of profound social change, and therefore we continue working on the construction of industrial zones, reconstruction, and construction of border crossings, river docks, regional roads, and railways.
The weakening of “proautonomy” parties, such as the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV), in the past 10 years has completely pushed discussions on the topic of Vojvodina’s autonomy into the background. This year is the 50th anniversary of the famous 1974 Constitution, which has been controversial for many in Serbia due to the “excessive rights” given to the provinces. From your standpoint, what is the right measure of Vojvodina’s autonomy that would suit all its citizens?
The constitutional legal order regulated by the 1974 Constitu-
Assembly, taking into account compliance with the normative legal framework and observance of the provisions of the Law on Establishing the Competences of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.
If you look at the 2022 census results, the demographic picture of Vojvodina is quite discouraging. Except for Novi Sad, all municipalities and cities recorded a population decline, which in some areas even up to 20%. West Bačka and Banat, municipalities along the border with Croatia, Hungary, and Romania, are particularly at risk. How can the demographic picture of Vojvodina be improved so that the next census results are not so depressing?
tion brought significant changes at all levels: on the one hand, for the federal state, because the concept of the federation was already changed by constitutional amendments, and on the other, the issue of the sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia opened, as well as the issue of the capacity of Vojvodina itself to assume and bear part of the power, that is, authority and responsibility in the management of public affairs and policies.
Disputes about the autonomy of Vojvodina are still present today, and there is no agreement on the answer to the question of whether decentralization of the state and society guarantees essential political democratization, not even half a century after the promulgation of the 1974 Constitution. However, there is no dilemma for the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians - this year we are marking 30 years of existence and for three full decades we have not deviated from our program: in addition to advocating for the protection, preservation, and improvement of the rights of members of the Hungarian national community, we are the only party that keeps the issue of the decentralization policies and Vojvodina’s autonomy within the Republic of Serbia on the agenda of the National
I will end our conversation with the sentence I said at the beginning: to improve the demographic picture of Vojvodina, it is necessary to provide good prospects for the citizens of Vojvodina and respect their dignity. In the 21st century, support of the state for families and reconciliation of motherhood and work is necessary. Therefore, it is important to allocate more funds from the budget for health, education, and social protection policies... Both the Republic of Serbia, by provisions of the Law on Financial Support for Families with Children, and the AP Vojvodina, support the birth rate increase with numerous measures. It is exactly these days that a public debate is being launched on the increase of child benefits for the first, second, third, and fourth child. The measure, the implementation of which started two years ago, for helping mothers when buying real estate based on the birth of a child, is also very important, because this measure solves both social and population goals, and it is an anti-discrimination measure as well. It is also important that the AP Vojvodina and the municipalities, provided they have secured the funds, can independently determine the expended scope of rights and more favorable conditions for their exercising, than those established by law. To summarize, the only solution is to consistently and coordinately work on a systemic solution to this problem, because each measure, without accompanying measures, would be as if we are trying to put out a demographic fire with a glass of water.
H.E. LINDIWE MSENGANA-NDLELA
New Ambassador of the South African Republic to Serbia
H.E. Lindiwe Msengana-Ndlela will be the new, non-residential Ambassador of the South African Republic to Serbia. She is an Adjunct Professor at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town. She has a long professional association with the Nelson Mandela School as a facilitator on several high-level leadership training courses. From 2014 to 2024, she was the Leadership and Strategy Adviser to the Minister in the Department of Science and Technology till 2018, Department of Higher Education and Training till 2019 & Department of International Relations and Cooperation in 2024.
DEPARTURES
H.E.
JAEWOONG LEE
Outgoing Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Serbia
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Jaewoong Lee, will soon be leaving Serbia. The ambassador, who has been very socially active in Belgrade, dedicated his term to advancing bilateral relations between the two countries and significantly helped in promoting his country, its culture, and its economy here. The ambassadorial position in Serbia was his first diplomatic mission.
H.E. YAHEL VILAN
Outgoing Ambassador of Israel to Serbia
H.E. Yahel Vilan completed his academic studies in political science at Tel Aviv University in 1995 and immediately entered the cadet training course of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2003 to 2005, he attended a master’s degree in security studies at Tel Aviv University. He speaks Hebrew, English and French. From 2017 to 2020, he was the Department for Eastern and Southern Africa director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was appointed ambassador of Israel to the Republic of Serbia in 2020 and Montenegro on a non-residential basis.
A Member of a Wonderful Belgrade Team
REGINA DE DOMINICIS
ex UNICEF Representative to the Republic of Serbia
Ms Regina De Dominicis is UNICEF’s new Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, based in Geneva, Switzerland. In her new role, Ms. De Dominicis will also serve as UNICEF Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe. She took up her functions in July 2023.
Before this assignment, Ms. De Dominicis was UNICEF’s Representative to the Republic of Serbia, among the other positions in Türkiye and Morocco.
We briefly spoke with Ms Regina De Dominicis about her time spent in Belgrade and Serbia and let’s look at what she misses a lot.
What have you been doing since you left Belgrade?
From Belgrade, I moved to Ankara, where I served as UNICEF Representative in Turkiye: a huge, fascinating and complex country where UNICEF leads one of its biggest development and humanitarian operations globally. I have been there in challenging times, including during the tragic earthquakes that have affected more than 5 million children. The results
achieved, together with the team, were impactful and I have learnt a lot, including about resilience, hope and strength.
Since 2023, I have been the UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, as well as the UNICEF Representative to the United Nations in Geneva and the Special Representative for Migration in Europe. My schedule has always been hectic, but the number of travels has expanded enormously, as has my exposure to interesting people and places. The region has experienced numerous, complicated emergencies that have required my regular attention, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the rising migration influx from the Mediterranean Sea, and several climate change-induced crises. Meanwhile, given the increasing inequalities across the continent, a priority has also been the expansion of regular programmes and partnerships with both public and private sectors to protect and uphold the rights of children everywhere. A truly fascinating and meaningful work, which powerfully aligns mind and heart.
My precious free time is entirely devoted to my beautiful family. I am lucky because both my spouse and my daughter have their passions, therefore quality time, spent talking and listening to each other, has been our common, re-energising space. We enjoy hiking, reading, and exploring new places together. The next on our list is Japan.
What (and who) do you miss the most from Serbia?
Reflecting on my time in Belgrade, what I miss most profoundly is the wonderful team I had the privilege to work with. Their creativity and innovative thinking, their high level of professionalism, and their unyielding passion for the UNICEF mandate were truly inspiring. I was proud to be part of this beautiful community of colleagues who consistently went above and beyond, driven by the commitment to making a tangible difference for children in Serbia and beyond.
Equally, I miss the colourful city of Belgrade itself. For me, this city shares similar characteristics with the beautiful Sava River: it looks calm but moves so powerfully, hiding more to offer beneath its surface. Whether it is its lively cultural ambience, its hidden coffee shops, or its distinctive charm built through layers of history, Belgrade always welcomes my family and me with delight. The capital’s vibrant energy, the wonderful UNICEF Serbia team together with the powerful nature and the warm hospitality I have encountered in every part of the country made my time in Serbia truly special and unforgettable.
Photo: UNICEF
Photo: Private Archive
FOCUS ON
PARIS 2024
INTERVIEW BOŽIDAR MALJKOVIĆ
President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia
SERBIAN HOUSE IN PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES ZORAN GAJIĆ Minister of Sport of the Government of the Republic of Serbia
Čoban
UNIFIED TOWARDS SUCCESS
We contribute to highlighting a new perspective of the future of the community and environment
The Zlatiborac company was founded with the idea of maintaining the traditional concept of manufacturing Zlatiborac cured meat products through continuous modernization and implementation of cutting-edge technologies. The specificity of the region and the climatic conditions of the village of Mačkat, the natural process of drying the meat on the wind rose and smoking it over beech wood, with the application of a unique recipe, have contributed to distinguishing ourselves not only on domestic but also on foreign markets.
In our manufacturing process, we apply traditional methods of drying and smoking cured meat delicacies, passing on the knowledge and skills of the old craft for generations. High-quality raw material and natural spices contribute to the preservation of their authentic taste. Relying primarily on local producers, we provide support for local agriculture, thus ensuring product freshness and quality. Every step we take is subject to strict quality controls, all to reach the highest standards in business.
The basis of our brand is authenticity and quality, a combination of tradition, heritage and craftsmanship, family values, and locality, but also the latest technologies that we continuously introduce and innovations
WE APPLY TRADITIONAL METHODS OF DRYING AND SMOKING CURED MEAT DELICACIES, PASSING ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND
SKILLS OF THE OLD CRAFT FOR GENERATIONS
that we implement. Adapting to the market trends of healthier eating habits and ecological sustainability, we apply modern production processes that harmonize with traditional recipes. In addressing this, we foster an approach that reflects the consistency of the brand identity, while also using digital channels for communication, thus meeting the expectations of modern consumers.
Our social responsibility is reflected in the provision of support to various projects, organizations, and individuals in the fields of education, environmental protection, and health. In preserving family values, we are focused on caring for the local community, which emphasizes solidarity and mutual respect.
With continuous activities, we contribute to highlighting a new perspective of the future of the community and environment, building the trust and loyalty of our consumers. Considering differences in access and needs, we improve communication and cooperation with stakeholders and relevant social actors.
As a partner of the Olympic Committee of Serbia and the official food of our Olympic team, we are committed to pointing up the importance of sports and a healthy lifestyle, as well as the persistence and perseverance required to achieve exceptional results.
To victory in Paris!
TATJANA ARSIĆ MILANOVIĆ
Corporate Communications Manager Zlatiborac DOO
by Robert
THE BUDGETS OF SOME OF OUR BASKETBALL CLUBS ARE FIVE TIMES LARGER THAN THE BUDGET OF THE SERBIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE! THAT’S NOT NORMAL!
In Split, they asked me what Croatian sports need to be better. I answered them, “You need Aleksandar Vučić!” Half of the hall applauded, the other half was silent!
Božidar Maljković met me in the lobby of the “Hyatt Regency” hotel, where he was staying during the Olympic Games in Paris. The evening before, we had met at the “Serbian House” during the celebration of the gold medal in shooting won by Zorana Arunović and Damir Mikec, so we started our conversation on that topic.
It’s interesting how once again the greatest joy for the nation is brought by people like Zorana and Damir in sports that receive the least investment and media attention,” I remarked.
“Do you know how they got the money? We were all sitting with Vučić before the Olympic Games, and he asked, ‘What do you all need?’ Everyone was silent. I said, ‘Hey, shooters! Why are you silent? The shooters need help!’ In France, even racehorses have better conditions than our shooters. These wonderful people achieve the best results with their modest means. Recently, I was in Zrenjanin giving a speech and I said, ‘You people are phenomenal - 24 gold medals and you don’t have water! Maybe we should cut off water in the rest of Serbia so we can have such successes there too!’ Five days before the trip, neither Jelena Arunović nor Mikec’s brother Goran were supposed to go. Then I intervened. Do you know how hard it is to coach your own family? And now everyone is clapping and celebrating after they won the medal.”
In your speech at the “Serbian House” a few days ago, you mentioned that the budget of the Serbian Olympic Committee is 5 million euros, while the budgets of the basketball clubs “Zvezda” and “Partizan” are each 25 million, five times more. How did you manage to achieve such success, with Serbia being represented by as many as 113 athletes, the highest number since the breakup of the SFRY?
“Well, it’s simply not normal. I understand them; if they don’t buy foreign players and play only with our kids, they will have poor results. Good players cost money. But their benefit to the development of Serbian basketball is minimal. However, when the Olympic Games come around, everyone asks us, ‘Where are the medals?’
WHEN THE OLYMPIC GAMES COME AROUND, EVERYONE ASKS US, ‘WHERE ARE THE MEDALS?’
Although I’m not a member of any party, I have to say - Vučić helps us a lot and has a great understanding of all our problems, and I praise him from Skopje to Ljubljana wherever I go. I had a presentation in Split at the Medical Faculty. On stage were Jerkov, Rađa, and I. Someone from the audience stood up and asked, ‘Mr. Božo, what does Croatia need to achieve better results in sports?’ And I answered, ‘You need Aleksandar Vučić!’ Half of the hall applauded, the other half was silent. I always speak my mind, no matter where I am. And I am very well-liked in Split.
I used to ask that the “Pionir” Hall be named after Professor Aleksandar Nikolić while his wife Ksenija was still alive. Nothing happened. In 2016, I was sitting in Vučić’s office; he was the Prime Minister. He immediately called Goran Vesić, who was waiting in the next office. On the same day, I received a resolution to name “Pionir” Hall after Aleksandar Nikolić. I also pushed for the Ranko Žeravica Hall in New Belgrade with Šapić in 2016.
How did you like the opening ceremony of the Games?
“I knew the French would do something radically different. Although the ceremony was not to my taste, just like the one at the closing of the Tokyo Olympics, it was a great thing that this opening ceremony showcased all the beauties of Paris. I have had an apartment in this city for over 30 years and I truly consider Paris my own.”
BOŽIDAR MALJKOVIĆ President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia
SERBIAN HOUSE IN PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES
In Paris at the beginning of the Olympic Games, the “Serbian House” was officially opened as part of the 2024 Olympic Games.
The opening ceremony was attended by Aleksandar Vučić, Milorad Dodik, French Minister of Foreign Trade Frank Rister, Minister of Sports Zoran Gajić, high-ranking French officials, and representatives of the diplomatic corps.
The “Serbian House,” located in La Villette Park, which will be named “Park of Nations” during the Olympics due to the presence of 15 national houses, will serve as a unique centre offering visitors a rich and interactive experience of Serbian culture, history, sports, and gastronomy.
This multifunctional pavilion is designed as a place where tradition meets modernity, featuring innovative multimedia presentations and cultural events. The centrepiece of the “Serbian House” will be the “Roots” art installation, standing 6.5 meters tall, symbolising the “Tree of Life,” representing the deep roots of the Serbian people and their traditions, culture, and history.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to see animations inspired by Serbian athletes and the works of Nadežda Petrović through advanced technological algorithms. Additionally, they will learn about prominent Serbian scientists and innovators like Nikola Tesla and Milutin Milanković.
Furthermore, the “Serbian House” will showcase a rich collection of documentary photo material from the Yugoslav Archives, being exhibited to the public for the first time. This material includes thousands of artefacts related to Serbia’s participation in previous Olympic Games.
The gastronomic section of the pavilion will allow visitors to enjoy traditional Serbian dishes prepared in a modern way by the most talented young chefs from Serbia’s Junior Chefs Club. The pavilion will also highlight Serbian
tourism, an economy based on modern technologies, scientific innovations, and plans for EXPO 2027.
In addition to cultural and gastronomic events, a rich supporting program is planned, including performances by renowned Serbian artists. The “Serbian House” will be open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM, with free admission for all visitors.
The “Serbian House” project is led by the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. Key partners are the Serbian Embassy in Paris, the Serbian Tourism Organization, and the Serbian Olympic Committee.
Day before the opening of Serbian House, minister Zoran Gajić, together with Serbian Olympic Committee President Božidar Maljković, and Olympic boxer Sara Ćirković opened the exhibition ‘The Path of True Values.’ in Serbian Cultural Centre in Paris.
At the opening of the exhibition, Minister of Sports Zoran Gajić addressed the visitors, expressing that great efforts have been made to present Serbia in Paris in a modern, creative, and original way. He stated that this will be an opportunity to showcase the most important event for our country in the sports world, which is EXPO 2027. The minister also inaugurated an exhibition titled “The Path of True Values.”
“When we talk about the history of Olympism in Serbia, we must say that Serbia has actively participated in spreading the idea of Olympism since the very beginning, starting from April 5, 1896, when the first Olympic Games were held in Athens. At those first Olympic Games of the modern era, the Serbian King Aleksandar Obrenović was present, and he was the only head of a foreign state among the guests at the Olympic Stadium in Athens,” said the minister.
He reminded me that even today, in 2024, the state of Serbia shares the true values of the Olympic movement and the International Olympic Committee with the same desire and enthusiasm, actively participating in the development and promotion of Olympism in general.
Today’s exhibition is primarily educational and aims to acquaint the wider public with the history of the Olympic movement in Serbia from the period of the Kingdom of Serbia up to the present day. Serbian athletes debuted at the Olympic Games in 1912, and over a history spanning 112 years, they have achieved significant results and represented our country with dignity at the Summer Olympic Games. As a symbol of this, Serbia will be represented by 112 athletes at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The minister invited all gathered visitors to tour the exhibition “The Path of True Values,” where they will have the opportunity to see exhibits from the Olympic Museum’s collection, ranging from the founding of the Serbian Olympic Club in 1910, initiated by General Svetomir Đukić, to the latest successes of our athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Among the exhibited items, he particularly highlighted the first medal in athletics by Ivan Gubijan from the London 1948 Olympic Games, the silver medal in wrestling by Branislav Martinović from Rome 1960, a letter from Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki from Rio 2016, as well as many other exhibits such as authentic photographs, sports equipment, and various documents.
“Today’s exhibition represents our history, what has happened, but also announces the future, where our Serbian Olympic team will shine in Paris. Our athletes will give 100% of their current capacities to achieve their dreams and will make our nation proud with their successes,” the minister emphasized.
SERBIA HAS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN SPREADING THE IDEA OF OLYMPISM SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING
ZORAN GAJIĆ Ministry of Sport
VIVE LA RÉVOLUTION!
TThe opening ceremony was not held in a stadium but on the river beside buildings representing the history of France
he opening ceremony of the 33rd Summer Olympics in Paris, the first to be held outside a stadium, will be remembered for its explosion of creativity, rain, and the misunderstanding of pop culture references by Maria Zakharova and Elon Musk, through Christian and right-wing circles around the world, to conspiracy theory-prone segments of the domestic public.
Everything will be alright. We’ll hang aristocrats on street lamps,’ sang the severed head of Queen Marie Antoinette the refrain of the famous French Revolutionary song ‘Ça ira,’ in Édith Piaf’s 1953 version. At that moment, it also started to rain.
I was at the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, and Rio in 2016, and at the opening ceremonies in Wembley and Maracanã for the last two. What pop music and the queen are to the British, what Gisele Bündchen walking across the stadium to ‘Girl from Ipanema,’ played and sung by the grandson of the song’s famous author, is to the Brazilians—the severed head of Marie Antoinette, cabaret, parodies, disguises, and self-irony regarding their own history and predominant religion is to the French. All of which Maria Zakharova, Elon Musk, and part of our public did not understand.
The next morning, when I appeared on the morning program of one of our national television channels, I had to comment: ‘Well, when Maria Zakharova, Elon Musk, and our conspiracy theory enthusiasts organize the next Olympic Games, they should do it differently. The French did it this way!’
I understand Maria Zakharova’s motives, but the others—it’s as if they haven’t watched a single film, musical, or any of the hundreds of reinterpretations of Da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper,’ or seen any musical or film.”
THE PROGRAM, DESIGNED BY THE TEAM OF FRENCH ACTOR AND THEATRE DIRECTOR THOMAS JOLLY, WAS A TRUE EXPLOSION OF CREATIVITY, SOME MIGHT SAY EVEN—A PROVOCATION SUITABLE FOR THE FRENCH
Before it started to rain, we arrived in Paris with a six-hour delay because our plane, already ready for takeoff on the runway at Nikola Tesla Airport, was promptly offloaded after a crack was noticed on a window in the cockpit. We had to wait for a plane of identical capacity from Antalya to land, and instead of departing at 6:40, we flew to Paris at 13:00.
News of sabotage on the railways and announcements of strikes accompanied us throughout the entire journey. From the hotel next to the Parc Villette, where the national houses of some participating countries, including Serbia, are located, we immediately headed to the banks of the Seine. There, at entrance L2 in Zone D, we were greeted with seats from which we would watch the spectacular opening ceremony of the 33rd Summer Olympics. The first one was not held in a stadium but on the river beside buildings representing the history of France and a good part of the political and cultural history of the world.
The contrast with the previous opening ceremony could not have been greater: At the ‘Corona Games’ in Tokyo 2021, only 1,000 guests were allowed, including just 15 heads of state. This time, around 120 heads of state
Photo:
and government attended the ceremony. Representing the host country were, of course, President Emmanuel Macron with his wife Brigitte, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, former President François Hollande, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Also present were Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, and Spiros Kapralos, President of the European Olympic Committee.
Among the foreign dignitaries in the stands in front of the Eiffel Tower were the prime ministers or presidents of Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Djibouti, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Romania, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Serbia was represented by President Aleksandar Vučić, and the European Union was represented by Charles Michel, President of the European Council; Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; and Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank. Also present were NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and UN Secretary General António Guterres.
From the royal families, the ceremony was attended by: the King of Belgium, the Prince of Bhutan, the King of Denmark, the Prince of Jordan, the Princess of Liechtenstein, the Prince of Monaco, the King of the Netherlands, the Emir of Qatar, the Prince of Saudi Arabia, and the King of Spain.
Other participating countries were represented by lower-ranking officials, such as vice presidents, deputy prime ministers, or relevant ministers. Among them was China, represented by Vice President Hen Zeng, while Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, attended on behalf of her husband, President Joe Biden, accompanied by Karen Bass, the Mayor of Los Angeles, the next host city for the Olympics.
The program, designed by the team of French actor and theatre director Thomas Jolly, was a true explosion of creativity, some might say even—a provocation suitable for the French. ‘A true revolution in mental, artistic, and technical terms!’ as my colleague Radmila Stanković wrote to me.
The program began with fireworks in French national colours on the Pont d’Austerlitz. From there, the parade of boats on the Seine began, which reached our viewing area in just a few minutes.
On 85 boats and barges, teams from a total of 206 national Olympic committees, as well as a refugee team from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), sailed down the Seine. I immediately noticed that the name of the country was incorrectly displayed for South Korea—North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). What remains a mystery to this day is how the boat with Israeli athletes initially passed by empty—just the sign ‘Israel,’
empty seats, and in front of them, Iceland—only for a few minutes later, on the screen visible to both us at the location and viewers watching the live broadcast, a boat with Israeli athletes waving to the crowd appeared. Unofficially, this scene was filmed seven hours earlier to avoid security risks and potential audience booing.
The ‘Serbian boat,’ with 112 representatives from our country, was impressive, being the largest team from the entire region. Among them were not Nikola Jokić and Novak Đoković, which, as it was already raining heavily at the time, we could not immediately notice but read about later. This was also the largest delegation of Serbian athletes at any Olympic Games since the breakup of Yugoslavia.
The parade of boats was accompanied by numerous dance and musical performances. The first major show was by Lady Gaga, who performed the classic chanson ‘Mon truc en plumes’ in the shadow of Notre Dame Cathedral. This was followed by a showcase of French culture and way of life: from ‘can-can’ to the opera ‘Carmen,’ scenes from the musicals ‘Les Misérables’ and ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ and heavy metal bands; from fashion show on the bridge to displays of famous artworks placed in the Seine near the shore, and performances of breakdancing, the only new sport at the Paris Games.
After the parade of boats concluded, the Olympic flag was carried across the Seine to Trocadéro on a metal horse ridden by a horsewoman. Then, the flag with the Olympic rings was mistakenly raised upside down, which some conspiracy theorists, both globally and locally, interpreted as clear evidence that ‘Satanists had a hand in it.’
Former French football star Zinedine Zidane started the final phase of the torch relay, which went from Trocadéro across the Seine to the Louvre. International and French sports stars passed the torch to each other. Among them were Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal, who was bidding farewell to his last Olympic Games in Paris; former tennis star Serena Williams; sprint legend Carl Lewis from the USA; former Romanian gymnastics world champion Nadia Comăneci; and former French NBA star Tony Parker. Finally, two French three-time Olympic champions ignited the Olympic flame in the Louvre courtyard: former runner MarieJosé Pérec and former judoka Teddy Riner. The flame was lifted into the rainy Parisian night sky by a balloon. The emotional finale was provided by Canadian singer Celine Dion, who suffers from Stiff-Person Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease. She had not performed live since 2020, but now, under the Eiffel Tower, she sang Édith Piaf’s classic chanson ‘Hymne à l’amour.
THE ‘SERBIAN BOAT,’ WITH 112 REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR COUNTRY, WAS IMPRESSIVE, BEING THE LARGEST TEAM FROM THE ENTIRE REGION
Photo: Oliver Colthart
The biggest stir was caused by the ‘reinterpretation’ of Da Vinci’s painting ‘The Last Supper,’ leading the organizers to issue an apology the day after the opening for anyone who might have been offended by the scene. Artistic director of the ceremony, Thomas Jolly, stated that there was no intention to ‘mock or belittle anyone’ and added that the scene was designed to reference pagan gods. ‘It is clear that there was never any intention to show disrespect to any religious group,’ said Anne Deschamps, spokesperson for the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, to reporters on Sunday, the day after the event. ‘On the contrary, I think Thomas Jolly was trying to represent and celebrate community tolerance. We believe he succeeded!’
As expected, the most criticism of the opening ceremony came from those who ‘weren’t invited to the party,’ namely from Russia. Russian state officials and religious leaders harshly criticized the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony, seizing on the rain and striking costumes to draw attention away from the games, in which Russia’s participation is strictly limited, and its national symbols are banned due to the invasion of Ukraine. This latest ban followed previous restrictions on Russian athletes and the exclusion of Russian national symbols and officials due to state-sponsored doping. Both the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church made comments targeting the LGBT community following the lavish opening ceremony on Friday, where over 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries and territories paraded along the Seine. ‘Cultural and historical suicide is happening in one of the former Christian capitals of European civilization,’ said Vahktang Kipshidze, spokesperson for the Russian Orthodox Church based in Moscow.
On Saturday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the camp scene from the Paris ceremony, which some linked to Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper,’ calling it ‘a mockery of a sacred story for Christians’ and accusing the ceremony organizers of depicting Christ’s apostles
AS EXPECTED, THE MOST CRITICISM OF THE OPENING CEREMONY CAME FROM THOSE WHO ‘WEREN’T INVITED TO THE PARTY,’ NAMELY FROM RUSSIA
‘as transvestites.’ ‘Clearly, in Paris, they decided that if the Olympic rings are colourful, you can turn everything into one huge gay parade,’ Zakharova said. She described the event as ‘a ridiculous outdoor ceremony that forced guests to sit for hours in the rain’ and suggested that the organizers should have considered ‘cloud seeding’ to try to alter the weather.
Under the onslaught of the Russian disinformation campaign against the Paris Olympic Games, French authorities this week also announced the bizarre detention of a 40-year-old Russian chef, who is claimed to have been involved in a ‘large-scale’ plot to disrupt the Games.
Last year, after banning Russian athletes due to systematic doping, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended Russia because it invaded Ukraine and Moscow’s claims of annexing four Ukrainian regions. Subsequently, the IOC announced that some Russian and Belarusian athletes could apply to participate under strict criteria. Ultimately, the IOC allowed 14 Russian and 11 Belarusian athletes to compete under neutral status in cycling, gymnastics, weightlifting, and wrestling. In 2016, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) concluded that over 1,000 people were involved in a sophisticated and long-term doping scheme between 2011 and 2014, which was supported by the Russian state.
When it comes to our country, Serbian can be heard in every corner of Paris, not just in the Olympic Village and at the sports venues. As I wrote in the article seven days ago, these are the first Olympic Games in the past 20
Photo: Shutterstock
years held in continental Europe for which Serbian citizens do not need a visa. The next Games in 2028 will be in LA, and in 2032 they will be in Brisbane, Australia, so for many, this is a unique opportunity to attend such an event. Serbia also presented itself at two special locations in Paris during the Games. The first is the Serbian Cultural Center, where, before the opening of the Olympics, Serbian Olympic Committee President Božidar Maljković, Sports Minister Zoran Gajić, and Olympic boxer Sara Ćirković opened the exhibition ‘The Path of True Values.’
Among the items on display are particularly notable the first athletics medal of Ivan Gubijan from the 1948 London Olympics, the silver wrestling medal of Branislav Martinović from Rome 1960, and a letter from Novak Đoković and Viktor Troicki from Rio 2016. Many exhibits, authentic photographs, sports equipment, and documents were presented.
The following day, ‘The Serbian House’ was also officially opened in La Villette Park. President Aleksandar Vučić attended the opening and cut the red ribbon. During the Games, La Villette Park will be named ‘Park of Nations’ as it hosts 15 national houses. The host of the Serbian House, Danijel Nikolić, presented the exhibit ‘Roots’ by Dušan Jovović, which showcased significant figures such as Nikola Tesla, Milutin Milanković, Mileva Marić Einstein, and many others. ‘The
THE BIGGEST STIR WAS CAUSED BY THE ‘REINTERPRETATION’ OF DA VINCI’S PAINTING ‘THE LAST SUPPER,’ LEADING THE ORGANIZERS TO ISSUE AN APOLOGY THE DAY AFTER THE OPENING FOR ANYONE WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN OFFENDED BY THE SCENE
Serbian House’ was conceived as a unique centre offering visitors a rich and interactive experience of Serbian culture, history, sports, and gastronomy. There was a large crowd at the opening, so I immediately positioned myself at the epicentre of this final part – gastronomy. In the atmosphere of a traditional Serbian kafana with checkered tablecloths, I was immediately served rakija and later enjoyed traditional Serbian dishes prepared in a modern way by the most talented young chefs from Serbia’s Junior Chefs Club.
After two rainy days, a sunny Sunday dawned, and I, of course, used to explore Olympic Paris by bike. There were many smiling people all over the city and a visible presence of armed police, but everything felt quite relaxed. For those in the city during the Games, it’s even possible to book visits to the Louvre or Orsay museums a few days in advance. Public transportation and streets are not overly crowded as something similar happened in London in 2012 – namely, a large percentage of Paris residents left the city before the Games began.
At the moment I am sending this text, news arrives of the first gold medal for Serbia at these Olympic Games. Serbian shooters Zorana Arunović and Damir Mikec won in the 10-meter air pistol event, defeating the Turkish pair Seval Ilayda Tarhan/Yusuf Dikec with a score of 16:14. Tonight we will celebrate their gold at the Serbian House.
Photo: Antonin Albert / Shutterstock
Izložba Put pravih vrednosti
GOLDEN TANDEM
Mikec and Arunović bring Serbia’s fi rst medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics!
Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunović have brought Serbia its first medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, winning gold in the mixed team air pistol 10-meter event.
The well-coordinated Serbian shooting duo, Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunović, defeated the Turkish pair Tarhan - Dikec 16:14 in the final of the mixed air pistol 10m event, thus securing Serbia’s first and most prestigious medal at the Paris Olympics.
‘This has been an extremely exhausting Olympic tournament, let alone the three-year cycle that preceded it. Three years is very little time to prepare for an Olympic cycle. We missed an entire year to do things differently due to the situation in 2020 with the COVID-19 virus, which impacted this year and the Olympics. The preparations were incredibly taxing, and I can say on behalf of both of us that we worked very diligently and hard during the preparations for these Olympic Games. I’m glad we ended up this way. As for me specifically, the first thing I need to do now is get some sleep,’ said Zorana Arunović.
‘First, I need to process everything and realize that this happened. It’s a big deal to climb one step higher after Tokyo, and I’m thrilled that I managed to do it. I was a bit mentally down after the final two days ago because, after a good match and being the first to enter the final, I was disappointed that the rules required the finals to be held the next day, which was completely new to me. I didn’t handle it the best, but I didn’t despair. New day, a new discipline. I believe in Zorana, she believes in me, and we’ve won many medals in our careers, and this Olympic medal is the pinnacle of it all. This is the fulfilment of every athlete’s dream. Now I will process everything that happened, enjoy this success, and rest because we have worked hard for three years without an Olympic year. We trained in the new hall in Košutnjak, which brought us luck and gave us a new boost. Now it’s time to rest,’ said Damir Mikec.
‘I don’t know how to describe the feeling. The agreement was to go all the way, wherever that end might be. It was very difficult in these circumstances, knowing that this was the only thing you hadn’t achieved in this three-year cycle. For me, they are champions, and this has been confirmed today. There
THREE YEARS IS VERY LITTLE TIME TO PREPARE FOR AN OLYMPIC CYCLE
was no turning back; that was not an option for us. We are satisfied but not surprised. We sacrificed many mixed-team appearances to prepare for something like this. We knew what the priority was. Their individual quality fits easily into the mixed-team format. We needed a combination of individual qualities to be competitive on the biggest stage. You work every day and know you might not succeed, but you don’t hold back, and that’s what brought us to the end. You have only 14 shots to show who you are and what you can do. Not to yourself, but to others, and we succeeded today. Now we are winners, and now we are on Olympus, and that’s what matters most,’ said coach Jelena Arunović.
Photo: Shutterstock
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
IS THE OLYMPIC CHAMPION!
At his fi fth Olympic Games, Djokovic fi nally achieved the trophy that had eluded him
Novak Djokovic has become the Olympic champion, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. By winning his first Olympic gold medal, and Serbia’s second gold at these Games, Djokovic has completed his trophy collection and confirmed his status as the greatest tennis player of all time.
In the grand final of the Paris Olympics, Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz with scores of 7-6, and 7-6, and thus claimed the most prestigious medal. This is Serbia’s second medal at the Paris Games and its second gold.
At his fifth Olympic Games, Djokovic finally achieved the trophy that had eluded him. Having won a record number of Grand Slam (24) and Masters (40) titles, Djokovic now adds Olympic gold to his collection, following his bronze medal in Beijing 2008.
“I thought carrying the flag of my country at the opening of the London 2012 Olympics was the best feeling any athlete could experience, until today. This surpasses anything I could have imagined or hoped to experience. I have always said that representing my country is the greatest priority and honour for me, whether it is at the Olympics, Davis Cup, or anywhere else where I
‘I HAVE NEVER FELT EMOTIONS ON THE COURT LIKE THOSE DURING THE LAST SHOT OF THE MATCH’ – NOVAK ĐOKOVIĆ
can proudly carry the Serbian flag. That truly drives and motivates me like nothing else. The fact that I won bronze at my first Olympics and then struggled to win a medal, unable to overcome obstacles in the semifinals, makes this moment, now at 37 years old, playing against a 21-yearold who is one of the best players in the world, probably my greatest sports achievement in my career.
Regarding the match, I think it’s fair that both sets ended in tiebreakers; we played for almost three hours at such a high level, with two sets. I can’t even imagine what would have happened in the third set had I lost that second one. Congratulations to Alcaraz for a great tournament and his fighting spirit. He’s a great guy, and I have immense respect for him as a player. He showed great character, continuing to fight despite being behind. I too fought even when I was leading; I didn’t think about whether I was ahead or not. I have never felt emotions on the court like those during the last shot of the match,” said Novak Djokovic.
THE GAMES OF THE XXXIII OLYMPIAD
Mayor in the Seine, surfers in Tahiti...
At the XXXIII Olympiad, breakdancing is featured as an Olympic event for the first time, swimming in the Seine is officially allowed for the first time in 100 years (starting from 2025), sailing takes place in Marseille, surfing is done on the waves of the Pacific Ocean in Tahiti in French Polynesia, and these are also the first Games in the past 40 years without one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council participating, which says a lot about the state of the world 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
A photograph of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wearing a diving suit and swimming goggles, swimming in the Seine nine days before the start of the Summer Olympics, has travelled around the world and will likely be remembered as one of those iconic scenes associated with an event.
Hidalgo dove into the river near City Hall, her office, and Notre-Dame Cathedral, joined by Olympic Games committee president Tony Estanguet and the prefect of Île-de-France, Marc Guillaume.
“This is happiness. We’ve dreamed of this for years, we worked very, very hard. The water is very good, a bit cold, but not too much,” she said, adding that the river is clean enough to host the open water swimming competition during the 2024 Olympics and the opening ceremony! “Parisien” reported her words. The mayor noted that the Olympics had been a driving force and accelerator, but that the French must “adapt their cities to the climate and find a river.
Her move is part of an effort to demonstrate that the cleanliness of the Seine has improved ahead of the Summer Games, which began on July 26 with a lavish outdoor ceremony featuring a parade of athletes on boats on the Seine. Since 2015, organizers have invested substantial funds—$1.5 billion—to prepare the Seine for the Olympics and to ensure that Parisians and city visitors enjoy a cleaner river in the years following the games. The major components of this project included the construction of a massive underground water storage reservoir in central Paris, the renovation of sewer infrastructure, and upgrades to wastewater treatment facilities.
Despite constant promises from politicians to clean the river, swimming in the Seine has been prohibited for over a century. Jacques Chirac, former President of France, made a similar promise in 1988 when he was the mayor of Paris, but it was never fulfilled. Chirac, who was campaigning for a third
term at the time, promised that year to clean the river as part of his “Clean Seine” program. The future President of the Republic then anticipated a five-year period to clean the river, not realizing that it would take 36 years to achieve. Hidalgo followed in the footsteps of French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who swam in the river a few days earlier in a diving suit.
The Seine will host several open water swimming events during the games, including marathon swimming at the Olympics and swimming stages of the Olympic and Paralympic triathlons.
As a media partner of the Serbian Olympic Committee, I have been to Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, and Rio in 2016. I skipped the Tokyo Games in 2021, which were held a year later than scheduled due to the pandemic, as did most other potential visitors.
The Summer Olympic Games 2024 (Jeux olympiques d’été de 2024), officially known as the “Games of the XXXIII Olympiad” (Jeux de la XXXIIIe Olympiade), will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, in Paris and a few other cities in France. After previously hosting the Games in 1900 and 1924,
Photo:
Paris, along with London (1908, 1948, and 2012), becomes the second city to host the Summer Olympics three times. The 2024 Games also mark the centennial of the 1924 Olympics. France will host the Games for the sixth time, including both Summer and Winter Olympics. In addition to Paris and its suburbs, certain sports events will be held in other locations across France and its overseas territories. Handball and basketball competitions will take place in Lille, sailing in Marseille, surfing in Tahiti in French Polynesia, and the football tournament will be held across France.
For the 2024 Summer Olympics, six cities were in contention: Paris, Hamburg, Boston, Budapest, Rome, and Los Angeles. On July 27, 2015, Boston decided to withdraw its bid to host the Games. Hamburg withdrew its bid on November 29, 2015, following a referendum, and Rome withdrew on September 21, 2016, citing financial issues. Budapest withdrew on February 22, 2017, after 260,000 people signed a petition against the bid. Following these withdrawals, the IOC Executive Board met in Lausanne on June 9, 2017, to discuss the host city selection for 2024 and 2028. The International Olympic Committee officially proposed that the host cities for the 2024 and 2028 Olympics be selected simultaneously in 2017. This proposal was approved at an extraordinary IOC session in Lausanne on July 11, 2017. At the 131st IOC Session in Lima on September 13, 2017, Paris was chosen as the host for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and Los Angeles was chosen for the 2028 Summer Olympics. In July 2021, Brisbane, Australia, was selected as the host for the 2032 Summer Olympics. This will be the third Olympics on this continent (Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000) and the fourth held in the Southern Hemisphere (Rio de Janeiro 2016).
During the Summer Olympics in Paris, 329 events will be held across 32 sports, including 28 “core” Olympic sports that were featured in 2016 and 2020, and four additional sports proposed by the Paris Organizing Committee. Breakdancing will make its Olympic debut while skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing will return to the Games.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the IOC suspended the National Olympic Committees of Russia and Belarus due to violations of the Olympic truce. Russian and Belarusian athletes will instead compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes” (INA) without national identification. As individual athletes, they will not be considered part of a delegation during the opening ceremony or in the medal tally.
Of course, this is not the first time politics has intervened in the modern Olympics. One of my favourite stories is about the “People’s Olympiad,” which was to be held in Barcelona in 1936 and was intended for countries and athletes who wanted to boycott the “Hitler Olympics” in Berlin. This event was the first attempt at a boycott in the history of the modern Olympics.
In 1931, the IOC decided at a meeting in Barcelona that Berlin, the prosperous and liberal capital of the Weimar Republic, would host the 1936 Olympic Games. Berlin won over Barcelona, which was also a candidate, by a majority vote of 43 to 16. Subsequent events led to the rise of Adolf Hitler’s
Nazis in Germany, while Spain became a republic. The new republican government of Spain, supported by the regional Government of Catalonia, decided to organize the “People’s Olympiad.” The idea was to use hotels built for the 1929 International Exhibition in Barcelona as the Olympic Village. The games were planned to be held from July 19 to 26, 1936, ending six days before the Berlin Olympics.
6,000 athletes from 49 countries signed up for the People’s Olympiad, including from the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and French Algeria. There were also teams from Germany and Italy composed of athletes in exile who opposed the repressive regimes in Berlin and Rome. Although Stalin’s USSR had its version of the Olympics called the “Spartakiad,” organized by Red Sport International, they agreed to participate in Barcelona as well.
However, on the day before the scheduled start of the People’s Olympiad in Barcelona, the Spanish Civil War began, and the event was never held. Many athletes who had arrived in Barcelona stayed in Spain to fight on the side of the Republicans against Franco.
Throughout its history, there have been complete boycotts on six occasions, all of which were Summer Olympic Games. The first boycott occurred at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Due to the Suez Crisis and the Israeli invasion of Egypt, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Spain, Switzerland, and China boycotted the Games. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were boycotted by North Korea, Indonesia, and China.
Rhodesia was denied entry when its invitation to the 1972 Summer Olympics was withdrawn by the International Olympic Committee following protests from other African countries. South Africa was not invited to the 1964 Games, and its invitation to the 1968 Games was withdrawn after numerous other teams threatened to withdraw. Due to apartheid policies, South Africa was not allowed to return to the Olympics until the 1992 Summer Games.
The Montreal 1976 Olympics were boycotted by 28 countries, mainly from Africa because New Zealand was allowed to participate despite its rugby team continuing to play matches with South Africa. The 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics saw a record boycott of 64 countries, from the US and Canada to West Germany and China, due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Four years later, the Soviet leadership retaliated in kind, leading to the boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics by 14 communist countries and their allies worldwide, ranging from Cuba and Libya to Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Laos. The only exceptions were Yugoslavia and Ceausescu’s Romania. While there have been instances of political and “diplomatic boycotts” in subsequent Olympics, none have been as widespread as during the Cold War. The absence of Russia from Paris 2024 will mark the first time in 40 years that a major country and permanent member of the UN Security Council is excluded from the Summer Olympics, highlighting the current state of global affairs 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Photo: Shutterstock
Photo: Pickchu / Shutterstock
Photo: Franck
SERBIAN GOLD FIVE TIMES MORE VALUABLE THAN CROATIAN GOLD
Among the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia has the largest team, with 113 Serbian
Athletes from Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, and other countries in the region are competing in 32 different sports. One of the sports that always attracts the most attention at the Olympic Games is basketball, especially the men’s tournament, where the Balkan countries Serbia and Greece will be represented. Serbia is in a group with teams from the USA, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico. Greek basketball players, on their way to their first Olympic appearance in 16 years, have defeated teams from Slovenia and Croatia. The Greek team is in a very tough group with Canada, Australia, and Spain. One of the biggest surprises of the pre-Olympic bas-
SERBIA WILL AWARD 200,000 € FOR EACH GOLD MEDAL WON AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
ketball qualifiers was the elimination of Lithuania, which was one of the hosts of the playoffs.
Among the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia has the largest team, with 113 Serbian athletes in various sports securing their place in Paris by meeting the Olympic quota. Before the Games, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić organized a reception for all Serbian Olympians, presenting the state flag to volleyball player Maja Ognjenović and water polo player Dušan Mandić, who will
Photo: OKS
carry it during the Olympic opening ceremony. “We hope for a harvest of medals, but even if there are none, we will continue to love you,” Vučić said on that occasion. He reminded that the state will award €200,000 for each gold medal won at the Olympic Games, adding that “a small number of countries in the world have decided to award such large prizes.” According to available data, Serbia is in first place globally with this amount, far ahead of many more developed countries, and exactly five times more than Croatia. “Ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, the Government has decided to increase the rewards for top athletes, coaches, and other sports experts who participate in winning medals for Croatia at major sports competitions (...). According to the new regulations, the reward for a gold medal at the Olympic, Paralympic, or Deaflympics will be €41,000 instead of the previous €27,650, the reward for a silver medal will be €26,000 instead of €17,300, and the bronze medal will be awarded €18,500 instead of €12,250,” said Croatian Minister of Tourism and Sports Tonči Glavina, according to Tportal.hr
‘WE HOPE FOR A HARVEST OF MEDALS, BUT EVEN IF THERE ARE NONE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOVE YOU’ – ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ
Stjepanović, Andrej Barna, Nikola Aćin, Justin Cvetkov (swimming relay), Women’s basketball team, Sara Ćirković (boxing), Aleksandar Komarov (wrestling), Lazar Kovačević (shooting), Georgi Tibilov (wrestling), Martin Mačković, Nikolaj Pimenov (rowing double scull), Nemanja Majdov (judo), Milica Nikolić (judo), Marica Perišić (judo), Aleksandar Kukolj (judo), Milica Žabić (judo), Strahinja Bunčić (judo), Adriana Vilagoš (athletics), Lev Korneev (taekwondo), Stefan Takov (taekwondo), Novak Đoković (tennis), Dušan Lajović (tennis), Izabela Lupulesku (table tennis), Men’s volleyball team, Anja Crevar (swimming), Armin Sinančević (athletics), Elzan Bibić (athletics).
A quick look at these 112 names highlights the ethnic diversity of the Serbian Olympic team, which includes a significant number of athletes from Vojvodina and Sandžak, as well as several foreign nationals who have obtained Serbian citizenship.
SERBIA IS REPRESENTED IN PARIS BY THE FOLLOWING ATHLETES: Serbia is represented in Paris by the following Olympians: Zorana Arunović (shooting), Damir Mikec (shooting), Natalia Šadrina (boxing), Vakid Abasov (boxing), Ivana Španović (athletics), Milica Gardašević (athletics), Andrej Barna (swimming), Milica Novaković, Marija Dostanić, Anastazija Bajuk, Dunja Stanojev (kayak four), Marko Novaković, Marko Dragosavljević, Vladimir Torubarov, Anđelo Džombeta (kayak four), Men’s basketball team, Angelina Topić (athletics), Jovana Arsić (rowing), Stevan Andrija Mićić (wrestling), Ali Arslan (wrestling), Women’s volleyball team, Mate Nemeš (wrestling), Men’s 3×3 basketball team, Jelena Erić (cycling), Ognjen Ilić (cycling), Aleksandra Perišić (taekwondo), Men’s water polo team, Velimir
The Croatian Olympic team consists of over 73 competitors across more than 16 sports. Among the most successful candidates are brothers Martin and Valent Sinković, a coxless pair who won gold in this rowing discipline at the Tokyo 2021 Games. They also secured gold in Rio de Janeiro 2016 in the coxless pair, and silver in London 2012 as part of the coxed four. The team includes Damir Martin, who won silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo in the single scull. Heading to Paris is Sandra Perković, now Sandra Elkasević, the Olympic gold medalist in discus throw from 2012 and 2016, and Giovanni Cernogoraz, the Olympic champion in trap shooting from London. Handball and water polo teams have also secured their places in France, as well as bronze medalist gymnast Tin Srbić on the pommel horse from Tokyo 2021. Croatia will also have a representative in BMX cycling - Martin Ranteš, and debuting at the Olympics will be 44-year-old table tennis player Ivana Malobabić. The men’s basketball team played in the qualification for the Olympics but did not succeed in securing a spot.
Photo: OKS
FOCUS ON
REAL ESTATE
FEATURED INTERVIEW
GORAN VESIĆ
Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure
MO N T E NE G R O’ S F I RST
G O L F R E SID E N C E S
Di s c o v e r luxury living a t T he P e a ks .
Un m a tche d r e si d enc e s, w o r l d- cla s s a m eniti e s, an d a b r e a t h takin g land s c ape o v e r loo k ing the A d r i a tic aw ait a t Lu š ti c a B a y. Unlock a w o r l d o f luxu r ious li v ing .
V isit us tod a y a t Lu š ti c a B a y
E : s al e s @lu s ti c a b a y. co m | T : +3 8 2 67 0 50 55 0
lu s ti c a b a y co m
GORAN VESIĆ
Minister
of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure
A NEW LIFE TO SERBIA
This is the first time the EU has a clear and concrete economic interest in cooperation with Serbia
Regarding the special edition of InFocus Real Estate, we had the opportunity to speak with Goran Vesić, the Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure, who provided a detailed overview of the infrastructure plans, openly discussed lithium excavation, and commented on the real estate market in Serbia.
WE WILL CERTAINLY ENSURE THAT ALL STANDARDS ARE UPHELD IN EUROPE, AS THEY ARE IN SERBIA AND THE EU
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with Diplomacy & Commerce. Let’s start with a topic that is currently back in the public spotlight, the Jadar project. What is your stance, and what is the role of the ministry you head in implementing this project? In the meantime, the Government of the Republic of Serbia has signed a contract with Germany and the European Commission. What the citizens of Serbia could see is that the project will involve European partners and that, as the president said, over 85% of the ore will remain in Serbia. There will be a chain of factories to process it into finished products like batteries and car factories, providing a significant portion of raw materials for the European auto industry. This aligns with Europe’s policy that all deposits on European territory should be used by European companies.
What I can tell you, as someone who advocates for Serbia’s entry into the European Union, is that this is the first time the EU has a clear and concrete economic interest in cooperation with Serbia. I believe Serbia has essentially entered the EU with this agreement. The formal entry will happen in the coming years; we will likely be the first country, possibly alongside Montenegro from the Western Balkans, to join, but this is a historic agreement for us.
IN THE NEXT EIGHT
YEARS,
NO PROPERTY IN SERBIA WILL BE ABLE TO BE SOLD WITHOUT AN ENERGY PASSPORT
EU. The public will be informed. According to our law, the study and its adoption involve a public hearing and public participation, so everyone will have the opportunity to express their opinions. I am confident that afterwards, some people who may have been swayed by certain insinuations will understand what is happening and how it will be handled.
What is important for the citizens is that, as the environmental impact assessment study is currently being conducted, the best European institutes will participate, in addition to our institutions, and we will do this with the help of our partners from Germany, who have extensive experience in this area. The highest European standards, which apply in every other EU country, will be applied. We can confidently say that the project will be environmentally friendly.
This means nearly 20,000 new jobs, both directly and indirectly, in other companies. There aren’t 20,000 unemployed people in that region today. People will relocate, salaries will be better, and this means approximately 6 billion in investments. Last year, our investments were 4.5 billion, and this year, in the first 3 to 6 months, they were 2.3 billion. This is a huge gain for us, an increase in GDP, higher wages, and higher pensions.
The construction of the entire infrastructure in the western part of Serbia, such as the continuation of the fast road, which will be completed this year, from Šabac to Loznica, another 21 km to Mali Zvornik, and a bypass around Loznica. We will work on reconstructing the Ruma-Šabac-Loznica railway, which is part of the Belgrade-Sarajevo railway. Thus, we will have a connection between Sarajevo and Belgrade with a railway capable of speeds of 120 km/h. The construction of a new railway between Valjevo and Loznica will connect that region with the Belgrade-Bar railway. This is almost 1.7 billion euros of investment just in infrastructure, which will be a significant project.
The biggest concern for some members of the public is exactly what you mentioned—the fear of environmental impact. So, do you believe that it will be done according to European standards and in partnership with European companies to alleviate these concerns, which might not be the case otherwise?
There have been many falsehoods spread about this. Unfortunately, the project has become part of a political battle. When something becomes part of a political battle, all means are used. We want to bring the discussion back to what it should be, which is to talk about all the environmental impacts. Be assured that our European partners, especially from Germany, will be actively involved because this is now their project as much as ours. We will certainly ensure that all standards are upheld in Europe, as they are in Serbia and the
How are the works progressing on the high-speed railway Novi SadSubotica, and will it be opened by the end of the year as announced? Yes, it will. It will be opened at the end of November or the beginning of December. By the end of this month, we will complete the high-speed railway, with only the station buildings remaining to be finished. For example, the Subotica station building will be completed by the end of August, the Novi Sad station is already finished, and the new station in Vrbas is nearing completion, among others.
The trains are here; these are Stadler trains that are already in operation. For the service to Subotica, we need new trains. The new Chinese trains, which are currently being certified in Prague to meet all EU standards, are important for the Budapest route. With the existing trains, we can easily maintain the schedule. The high-speed train will run every hour, stopping at four stations.
The focus is now on the Belgrade-Subotica line. What about the other branches from Belgrade, such as towards Zagreb via Šid, to Niš, and from Vršac to Timișoara? There was some issue with the Romanians, which caused delays.
That was a silly issue, I must say. When our railway companies were divided, there was an outstanding debt to the Romanian railways, and it wasn’t clear which company should pay it. I recently had a meeting with the Romanian ambassador, and representatives from my ministry went to Romania, and we are now resolving it. The railway towards Romania is being designed; we just completed the tender process for the Beograd-Vršac-Romanian border project, funded by the World Bank. I hope we can start reconstruction relatively soon.
That railway is currently active, with six departures daily, and it’s quite decent within the current framework.
As for the Belgrade-Šid railway, we’ve completed the project; it is designed for a speed of around 200 km/h. However, we won’t proceed with this railway until we get a response from Croatia about whether they want a high-speed railway or not. I had a meeting with the Italian Minister of Transport, met with Slovenian Minister Malenka Bratušek, and spoke with Austrian colleagues.
Goran Vesic u razgovoru sa Robertom Cobanom
THE FACT IS THAT WE HAVE SEEN A 22% INCREASE IN THE CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRY IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR
Let’s touch on the real estate market. How can we maintain the quality and price level of real estate in conditions of hyperproduction, especially in the most sought-after locations such as Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zlatibor, Kopaonik, and recently Vrnjačka Banja and other places in Serbia? The market needs to handle this.
The fact is that we have seen a 22% increase in the construction industry in the first quarter of this year in current prices. Overall, there was an 8.30% increase in the number of completed works. We are one of the few countries experiencing this growth. This is a result of the elimination of conversion fees, which freed up many locations. We have also worked to introduce green building certificates through amendments and additions to the law.
This means that from 2026, all buildings larger than 10,000 square meters must be constructed according to green building certification standards, using one of several global certificates. Firstly, ecological materials must be used, and there is an additional verification process. To obtain a certificate, a project must be certified. We are working with the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad to prepare a project for a domestic green building certificate. This will be great to have, but it will take years to fully implement. All those who build according to green building certifications will receive a 10% discount on the construction land they purchase.
We want to encourage quality construction and ecological building practices, including the use of ecological materials. This is something we are preparing for. From 2028, everyone who wishes to design will have to do so using the BIM model, which is the latest model in the world. Perhaps only one or two EU countries require designing in the BIM model as Serbia does, putting us ahead of many countries. This model allows for higher quality and easier construction, helping to avoid conflicts during the building process, which is fantastic.
Remember, within the next eight years, no property in Serbia will be able to be sold without an energy
passport. For new buildings, the energy passport is a mandatory part of the purchase agreement. By August 2026, all state-owned companies and buildings must have an energy passport. For example, this building we are in will need one. Two years later, all company-owned buildings must have precise information about the building’s energy properties by 2033, so buyers know what they are purchasing and whether they will spend a lot on heating or cooling.
This is not the case now; people often buy a “pig in a poke.” This is very important for citizens. All these changes have been introduced through amendments to the Planning and Construction Law.
Another topic in the public eye is EXPO 2027. What exactly is the timeline for preparing for the EXPO 2027 world exhibition, as it seems there isn’t much time left? This includes roads, railways, the national stadium, the new fairgrounds, the natural history museum, etc. There are a lot of different pieces of information in the public domain, so it would be good to have everything from your ministry’s perspective in one place, as much as possible at this moment.
Regarding EXPO, my ministry is responsible for the railway. We will start working on the railway at the end of this month and aim to complete it by the end of 2026. The railway will go from Zemun Polje, cover the centre of Surčin, the national stadium, and Nikola Tesla Airport, which is very important for us. According to EU standards and new directives, in the coming years, all airports with over 12 million passengers must be connected by rail. We anticipate that Nikola Tesla Airport will handle over 10, and possibly over 12 million passengers within the next 3-4 years.
EXPO 2027 IS EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT FOR SERBIA’S IMAGE
We’ve published it in Slovenian, Serbian, and English. Pearson, one of the largest textbook publishers in Europe, published it. I expect the book to be available in Slovenia and Serbia within the next month. I’ll be teaching as a guest lecturer at the University of Maribor and will start focusing on that.
This is significant for you, for example, as you could travel from Novi Sad to the airport by train once the railway is completed.
One of the questions on social media was about this. Currently, Novi Sad does not have a direct bus connection to Belgrade Airport. This will be much more convenient; you can get off at Zemun Polje station, catch a train every 10-15 minutes, and you’re there. Tomorrow, people from Niš or Valjevo won’t need to use their cars, which is very important.
EXPO 2027 is extremely significant for Serbia’s image. That year, we will be the business centre of the world. We expect 3.5 million tourists in Belgrade alone during the EXPO. These are wealthier tourists who will explore other parts of Serbia, and some will return. Moreover, this event is a development opportunity for Serbia. It’s always amusing when I hear some people say that EXPO isn’t important. Both the Americans and the Spaniards competed for this EXPO. If it was important to them, it should be important to us.
In addition to regular state duties, you’ve often been present in the public eye as an author of columns and books, mostly on the topic of Belgrade. Is there anything else you’re focusing on, and what can we expect soon from that segment?
Firstly, I’m about to sign a contract with a Chinese publisher for the printing of my book about Belgrade in China. I’ve already published it in Chinese, but only in Serbia. Secondly, along with Miha Marič, my colleague from the University of Maribor, I’ve released a textbook on the use of social media in political campaigns. Miha helped me a lot by adapting my text into a textbook format.
As someone on the Serbian political scene who was one of the earliest and probably the most extensive users of social media, even those initially considered unsuitable for our generation (laughs) This book is interesting because it’s based solely on my examples. Each story has its barcode, so as you read the book, you can scan the code with your phone and watch the examples. I believe it’s one of the first such books in Serbia. I’ll also start teaching at several universities. I already have one book, co-authored another with Miha that has already been published in Slovenia, and by the end of the year, I’ll be a co-author on another book, so I’ll have three books, three textbooks, which allows me to pursue an academic career, something that hasn’t interested me until now.
I’m hoping to release my memoirs for the book fair. I’ve been on the political scene for a long time, and a part of life needs to be documented before I forget it (laughs). I’ve been in politics since 1989, and it’s been over 30 years, so it’s time to record it. The memoirs will cover my political work from 1989 to 2013, focusing on those 24 years.
Journalist Aleksandar Apostolovski and I had the idea for this book; he turned it into 26 or 27 stories. These aren’t classic memoirs; they do cover my political career, but they are not about my personal life. The book will be published by Prometej from Novi Sad, my publisher, and I hope it will be ready for the book fair. You’ll read stories about October 5th and various events and personalities, from Đinđić to Schröder, Dick Cheney, Blair, Ratko Mladić, Radovan Karadžić, Vuk Drašković, Sloba Milošević, and Mira Marković. It will be my perspective on those events. Every such book is subjective, as it’s based on personal accounts, but I hope it will be interesting. Next year, a third book on Belgrade will be published. I write columns in Politika every Friday, and then we select the best ones to publish as a book, so there’s no need for additional writing. Those are my publishing plans for the future.
ELEVATED COASTAL LIVING: THE PEAKS, LUŠTICA BAY
Luštica Bay, Montenegro’s emerging destination redefi nes coastal indoor-outdoor living with the country’s fi rst golf course and residences, The Peaks. The destination’s most luxurious development to-date offers a collection of residences atop dramatic cliffs overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
Inspired by the beauty of its surroundings, The Peaks combines modern architecture with traditional influences to create a neighbourhood that is timeless and sophisticated. Its first collection of residences, Botanika, comprises villas, townhouses and apartments, designed by internationally acclaimed architects Block 722 and local design firm NRA Atelier.
The residences boast soaring ceilings and open-concept layouts, inviting the outdoors in at every turn. From private pools to landscaped terraces, the thoughtful layout and high-end amenities maximise true indoor-outdoor living. With its elevated position between UNESCO protected Boka Bay and the Adriatic Sea, the development’s Gary Player Design 18-hole golf course joins an elite group of under 10% of the world’s golf courses with sea views from every hole, establishing Montenegro as a premier golfing destination.
Complementing The Peaks, the wider town of Luštica Bay provides a vibrant hub of dining, shopping and entertainment for both sightseers and adventure-seekers. Combining modern luxury with authentic Mediterranean charm, the development is the ideal destination for both short and long-term visitors to explore Montenegro’s stunning natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Now bolstered with its upcoming championship golf course, Luštica Bay continues to expand its offering of world-class sporting facilities, establishing itself as a premier destination for all.
STUNNING VIEWS IN EVERY DIRECTION, FROM THE TEE TO THE SEA
Not only will The Peaks be the home of Montenegro’s first ever golf course, the course at Luštica Bay will join an exclusive international cadre of courses which boast a scenic view from every hole: something that fewer than 10% of golf courses in the world can make a claim to. The natural topology of the terrain allows for a course that offers something for players of all levels and abilities. So, whether
you’re a seasoned pro or just getting into the swing of things, you’ll want to return round after round. To commemorate its visionary construction, Luštica Bay proudly hosted its inaugural event with sporting legend and leading voice in golf course design, Gary Player – including taking the first symbolic swing.
The property’s natural beauty is extraordinary – with its rugged terrain, diverse wildlife, and Adriatic Sea views. Its development has demanded innovative solutions but also unparalleled opportunities, enabling us to create a course that will offer golfers a truly unique journey. It is with great pride that we’re expanding the game of golf to Montenegro…if I had to have a house on any golf course in the world or a villa, this would be my place have spent the majority of my professional career expanding golf around the world and always felt that it is important to create new opportunities for golfers to enjoy the game in new and exciting ways. No doubt the challenging landscape of Luštica Bay will offer a unique experience for golfers to test their skills and improve their game. By opening up this course in Montenegro, we are not only bringing the beauty of the sport to a new location but also providing a platform for golfers to push themselves and grow in their abilities.“I am excited for the opportunity Luštica Bay will bring through creating a new golfing destination in an area where our sport is underserved, said Gary Player.
HORIZON RESIDENCES
WHERE SKY MEETS SEA
Introducing Horizon, an exclusive hillside neighbourhood where the beauty of the Adriatic Sea meets the vastness of the sky. Here, every hillside residence is a testament to thoughtful design and boundless natural beauty. Each one is a masterpiece of Mediterranean design, featuring terraces that invite you to linger, pools that beckon for a refreshing dip, and private spaces that offer breathtaking, uninterrupted views of the marina and sea, extending to the horizon.
LIFE AT THE SUMMIT
Life at Horizon means enjoying the finest details. Picture homes built from warm Luštica stone, accented with Mediterranean shutters and distinctive roofs. Interiors feature earthy tones that complement the stunning blue views, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere. Each view has been carefully choreographed and framed by an
arched portico or pergola entwined with honeysuckle tendrils. Think artfully tiered pool terraces, lush gardens with olive and lemon trees, and winding staircases overlooking the sea.
THE ART OF LIVING
Horizon isn’t just about where you live; it’s about how you live. Engage in outdoor adventures, find peace in tranquil corners, and enjoy a community that blends modern amenities with traditional charm. From dynamic Luštica Bay activities to serene private moments, Horizon offers a life reimagined.
REALISTIC PRICES ARE THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED
The apartment market in Belgrade is too large and too inert to expect significant changes in the short term
We spoke with Miodrag Gazibaba, the Director of the consulting company Cordon, about the current developments in the real estate market in Belgrade and Serbia
What is the current situation in the real estate market? Have prices calmed down?
The situation in the real estate market, specifically apartment sales, is stable, but it is evident that the number of transactions on an annual level is lower compared to 2022, which was a record year when the volume of apartment sales in Belgrade alone amounted to 2.6 billion EUR. Since January 2023, a decrease in the number of transactions has been felt, which has also caused a slight drop in prices, primarily among investors selling apartments under construction, where discounts of 2-5% compared to 2022 prices are more commonly offered. This price difference can be considered more of a price correction rather than a drop, and it is not talked about enough because it seems that some market participants expected, and still expect, a larger drop. However, there is certainly no price growth across the entire market as was the case in previous years when prices grew by as much as 10% annually.
How realistic are the prices? Not only are they high, but the market shows almost no logic. Apartments in neighborhoods that do not offer a quality lifestyle are valued highly, simply because they have historically had a good reputation.
THIS PRICE DIFFERENCE CAN BE CONSIDERED MORE OF A PRICE CORRECTION RATHER THAN A DROP
Realistic prices, in our view, are those that have been achieved, and historical data is always looked at for this. It is enough to look 6-12 months back to estimate which prices were realistically set based on completed transactions. For some people who only observe the real estate market, prices have long been illogical. However, it is obvious to market participants that a large number of buyers purchase apartments as investments, and their reasoning is different from buyers who purchase apartments for themselves. According to data from the RGZ (Republic Geodetic Authority), cash transactions make up about 75% of the total market, which shows how many investment buyers there are. For most buyers, the process starts with location, hence the old mantra:
MIODRaG GaZIBaBa Director of the consulting company Cordon
location, location, location. Based on this crucial criterion, investors manage to charge high prices per square meter in good locations, even if the quality of construction or the quality of life does not meet the expectations of some buyers. Demand is the only true element that drives up the price per square meter, and there will always be demand for good locations.
In our opinion, conditions for a different way of thinking have long been established: location, critical mass, and concept. This means that location does not have to be the only parameter and that it is possible to offer a larger complex that provides a better living concept in a location that is not prestigious. There are also market examples of this way of thinking.
Does snobbery drive up the price per square meter?
The total volume of the apartment sales market in Belgrade last year amounted to about 2.1 billion euros, and we do not see snobbery significantly affecting the overall market. Snobbery exists everywhere in the world and is generally associated with certain parts of the city. In Belgrade, these areas include Upper Dorcol, parts of the city centre, parts of Vračar, parts of Senjak, and parts of Dedinje. These locations will always be prestigious and attract a small segment of buyers who want to follow the larger market, but we do not believe this influences price increases.
THE
TOTAL VOLUME OF THE APARTMENT SALES MARKET IN BELGRADE LAST YEAR AMOUNTED TO ABOUT 2.1 BILLION EUROS
What truly drives price increases is high demand, or more precisely, the impatience of buyers. Most purchases you will see in the upcoming period reflect impatience that has built up over the years, and this is part of the explanation for the market’s apparent illogicalities.
A typical investment buyer accumulates funds for an apartment purchase over many years, during which impatience grows to invest the funds and start generating income from that investment. In this impatience, different criteria for construction quality emerge, meaning less attention is paid to quality during the purchase.
Buyers purchasing for themselves have much higher expectations, but in this context, they also have far fewer options that meet all the conditions regarding location, quality, and price at the beginning of the process. Many of these buyers spend several years searching for the right property before they manage to invest their funds, often making compromises compared to their initial wish list.
We have drastic examples of poor apartment construction, which often destroys precisely what should be raising the price per square meter. For example, Zlatibor –has always been valued for its nature, but now it’s almost gone. Similar examples are found in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and throughout Serbia.
Inadequate construction quality is a common occurrence in our real estate market, and this is also a consequence of high demand. In previous years,
demand was so high that investors could sell all apartments even before construction began, meaning buyers could not see the construction site or enter the apartment they wanted to buy. This situation allows certain investors to save on construction quality.
Of course, some investors care about their reputation and invest in construction quality. Although this may be a smaller part of the market, there is a slight increase in investments in quality. The more a project or a place like Zlatibor becomes interesting to investment buyers, the greater the chance of encountering lower construction quality. However, there are certainly more examples of quality construction now than there were 5-6 years ago.
What is the situation with real estate prices in Serbia? Apart from Belgrade and Novi Sad, where else do we see a rise in prices and demand? We do not see many examples of price increases in the last 18 months, but it is evident that certain projects and certain investors have managed to maintain a portion of the demand. In previous years, it seemed that all investors were doing well, but in the current market, differences in demand are now visible. This reveals who manages to offer the right balance between quality and price. We see examples of residential projects outside Belgrade and Novi Sad in good locations, but we have not noticed a price increase. Instead, we observe a similar trend where some investors manage to retain part of the demand, while others find it more challenging.
Has the drop in interest rates for housing loans increased the sale of apartments on credit?
The total number of housing loans has increased slightly, so we see this more as a correction rather than growth. It seems that the market has simply adapted to the new reality and high interest rates, as the percentage of loans in arrears is extremely low, despite the evident rise in interest rates over the past two years.
How do you predict real estate market trends until the end of this year?
The apartment market in Belgrade is too large and too inert to expect significant changes in the short term, so we do not anticipate any major shifts in the overall market by the end of the year. What is evident is the absence of a certain segment of buyers who expected larger discounts in the past 18 months, which did not happen. It appears that interest rates will gradually decrease, leading to increased demand. Additionally, we believe there will be a rise in demand at some point, driven by impatience and accumulated funds that have not been invested in the past 18 months since the market slowed down.
Photo:
INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE: SHIFTING BOUNDARIES
It seems that many market participants want to somehow join the growth that EXPO 27 will bring
In the distant year of 2005, few people wanted to live or work in New Belgrade in the area between the highway and the Sava River. At that time, for most people, Omladinskih Brigada Street marked the boundary and the end of New Belgrade. Today, it is becoming the central part of New Belgrade, as the city is rapidly expanding towards Surčin and the future EXPO 27 project.
For most investors and apartment buyers, there are certain mental barriers, boundaries they wouldn’t cross, and this is how the real estate market functions in every major city worldwide. Mental barriers include bridges, highways, large parks, and wide boulevards. In Belgrade, some mental barriers are obvious to everyone, such as the Danube River and the bridges that cross it. In those parts of the city, the price per square meter is significantly lower than on the other side of the bridge. Some people are divided between the old part of the city and New Belgrade, holding clearly defined views that they would not live on the side of the Sava River that doesn’t suit them. The decision to live in New Belgrade is pragmatic because you don’t waste time commuting to work, you have shopping centres nearby, and two rivers, but you don’t feel like you can go outside and take a walk; instead, you get in your car for all needs. Living on the other side of the Sava River is an emotional decision be-
cause much is sacrificed in daily life due to the distance from business buildings and parking issues, but those parts of the city “have a soul.”
The shifting of boundaries that existed in New Belgrade began in 2007 with the construction of Delta City, and already in 2009, the residential complex Belville with 1,900 apartments (priced then at around 1,700 to 1,900 EUR/m²) was built. At that time, the Airport City business complex had already completed two phases, covering nearly 40,000 m². The main reason this mental barrier shifted for some property buyers is that these projects were completed in a very short period, and EXPO 2027 partly mirrors that situation. The impact a shopping centre can have on a city is best seen in the example of Delta City in Podgorica, where almost no one wanted to live “on that side of the river,” but today the situation is significantly different.
MENTAL BARRIERS
INCLUDE BRIDGES, HIGHWAYS, LARGE PARKS, AND WIDE
BOULEVARDS
Today, with the real estate market in Belgrade slowing in transaction volume, though not so much in prices, construction and sales on Omladinskih Brigada Street are ongoing at prices of 3,500 EUR/m²
Photo: Enis Omeragic
plus VAT and higher. Some investors are building their second phases or new projects in that street, giving the impression that they are satisfied with the transaction volume in that part of the city.
Mental barriers also operate on smaller scales, and perhaps the easiest to explain is the Upper Dorćol example, which is bordered by Piarron de Mondésir Street, Tsar Dušan Street, Francuska Street, and the streets connected to Students Square. The situation in Vračar is not so clear, with many investors claiming to have projects “in the heart of Vračar.” The price of new construction in Upper Dorcol is now between 5,000 and 6,000 EUR/m² plus VAT and higher while crossing the “boundary” of Cara Dusana Street to Lower Dorcol, prices are significantly lower, around 3,000-3,500 EUR/m² plus VAT. This mental barrier will be completely broken when the first phase of the Dorćol Marina project is built, which is behind another mental barrier, Dunavska Street. Parcels for construction along the future linear park, i.e., Dunavska Street, have already been purchased, so apartment prices in Lower Dorćol will start to rise in the next 3-5 years.
THE FUTURE EXPO HAS AWAKENED PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE URBAN PLANNING PHASE FOR OVER 10 YEARS
The mental barrier known as Omladinskih Brigada was already moved a few years ago when apartment buyers, due to high prices in this street, “agreed” to go as far as Tošin Bunar Street, where current prices range from 2,700 to 3,000 EUR/m² plus VAT. For apartment buyers in Omladinskih Brigada, it is likely sufficient that a large portion of office space and Delta City are within walking distance, and they might not be aware of future projects in the direction “towards Surčin,” which will one day transform this street into the central zone of New Belgrade. Near this central street of New Belgrade is the plot of the former IMT factory, over 30 hectares, where approximately 1 million square meters will likely be built. The shifting of boundaries concerning office space has already begun with new projects currently under construction. AFI City Zmaj is a new business park located on the highway
extending from Bežanijska Kosa near the popular Zmaj gas station, which will eventually have nearly 200,000 m² of office space for lease.
On the other side of the highway, the Green Escape business park is under construction, which will have over 60,000 m² of office space. For comparison, Airport City currently has 140,000 m², so apartments will be built where offices are located.
The future EXPO has awakened projects that have been in the urban planning phase for over 10 years, such as the Singidunum project on 250 hectares in Dobanovci, where both industrial and residential contents are planned in large quantities, as well as a project with golf courses and luxury apartments in the Becmen settlement. The private sector is quite quickly following the state.
When talking about hundreds of thousands of square meters and hundreds of millions of euros, phased construction is particularly important. The state must complete its part at once due to its obligations to international organizations, while all private investors reduce risk by building their projects in phases.
In the past 20 years, foreign investors needed to arrive, who buy parcels for construction by looking at the city map and measuring distances in minutes, not relying on advice from local experts explaining “what our people like.” Now, it seems that many market participants want to somehow join the growth that EXPO 27 will bring. The city is certainly growing in that direction, but any investment in real estate requires caution in planning the future and the pace at which that future is built, while only the monthly costs are certain.
One of the reasons apartments are bought in Belgrade is because the cost of an empty property is acceptable; property taxes are not the same as in developed markets, and monthly costs currently do not include an investment fund for capital investments and facade renovations. Therefore, it can be expected that apartment investors in Belgrade will also participate in the growth that comes with the EXPO project.
Diplomacy & Commerce Dinner at the Tchaikovsky Restaurant
On the corner of Terazije and Balkanska Street is the well-known Hotel Moskva, a symbol of the city of Belgrade
The hotel, which is characterized by fascinating Russian Art Nouveau architecture and interior, was a favourite meeting place of the Belgrade, Balkan and world elite. Inside the hotel is the famous Tchaikovsky restaurant, formerly known as the “Moscow Tavern”, a place that exudes history, full of colourful stories and steps of famous personalities and artists. It was in this famous restaurant that the first in a series of “Diplomacy & Commerce” magazine dinners were organized, which brought together famous people from the world of diplomacy, business, culture and art.
IAT THE TABLE WERE – A COMPOSER, AN ACTOR AND A SINGER, JOURNALISTS, AN ACTRESS, A GASTRO-BLOGGER, A PAINTER, A CHEF, A MANAGER, AN OPERA SINGER, TWO AMBASSADORS AND A PRINCESS
The magnificent menu, which was served to the guests present, included: excellent steak tartare, rolls with prosciutto, mozzarella and zucchini; tagliatelle with prawn and saffron; Saint Jaques Kapistante, Lime Sorbet, tuna in black sesame or steak in olive oil
and finally Moscow Šnit cake and raspberry gratin. The entire dinner was enjoyed by some of the best of Dragić wines.
The pianist enchanted all the guests, with the wonderful performances of the works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Dmitri Shos-
takovich and famous film scores. At the table were many esteemed guests, many of whom were very known in their respective fields of work, including a composer, an actor and a singer, a journalist, an actress, a gastro-blogger, a painter, a chef, a manager, a opera singer, two ambassadors and a princess.
The main goal of these dinners is to bring together members of different social groups of the Serbian capital with delicious food, and first-class wines and to enjoy classical music. The Tchaikovsky restaurant was the perfect place to provide just that – a dinner to be remembered.
05 JUN 2024
The Start
of
Hungary’s EU Presidency Marked in Belgrade
On June 5th, a reception was held in Belgrade to mark the beginning of Hungary’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, attended by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret.
09 JUN 2024
The host of the reception was the Hungarian Ambassador to Belgrade, H.E. József Magyar. Hungary took over the presidency of the Council of the EU from Belgium on July 1st and will hold it until December 31st. In his address during the reception, the Hungarian ambassador
confirmed the exceptionally strong and friendly ties between Hungary and Serbia, emphasizing that his country will be very active in the process of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans region. “The European Union cannot be complete without Serbia,” Magyar highlighted.
Montenegro’s Statehood Day at the Montenegrin House in Belgrade
Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Embassy of Montenegro, Stanica Popović, organised a reception on the occasion of July 13th - Montenegro’s Statehood Day at the Montenegrin House (Crnogorska kuća) in
Belgrade. Statehood Day is a holiday that occurs every year on 13 July in Montenegro to commemorate the day in 1878 on which the Berlin Congress recognized the Principality of Montenegro as the twenty-seventh
Celebration of the modern republic of Egypt declaration
On the occasion of the national day of Egypt which is celebrated on July 23, the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Serbia organized a reception in Belgrade Crown Plaza Hotel. The reception was hosted by H.E.
Mr. Bassel Salah and Madam Maha Baraka on 8th June 2024 with a company of many distin-
guished guests. This year’s celebration in Serbia was marked by the announcement of the signing of a free trade agreement between Egypt and Serbia, which will be signed in the coming days and will open the door to broad economic cooperation between the two countries, which have always maintained very close and
independent state in the world. The date is also celebrated to commemorate the 1941 uprising against Italian occupation. A large number of guests and members of the diplomatic corps in Serbia attended the reception.
friendly relations. National Day of Egypt is the annual celebration of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 when the modern republic of Egypt was declared, ending the period of the Kingdom of Egypt. The reception was attended by the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and numerous Serbian officials.
08 JUNE 2024
10 JUN 2024
Piñata of Mexican Science and Culture
On June 10th, in celebration of Science Day and Nikola Tesla’s birthday, the exhibition “Science in Mexico 2024” was opened in Belgrade. The exhibition is hosted at the Svetozar Marković University Library on King Alexander Boulevard. This exhibition introduces the broader public of Serbia to previously unknown facts about contemporary Mexican science, sourced from the most eminent global scientometrics databases. The scientific community
of Mexico is one of the fastest-growing and highest-quality scientific communities in Latin America, and collaboration with it can greatly enhance the science, education, and economy of Serbia, according to a statement issued by the Embassy of Mexico in Serbia on the occasion of the exhibition. At the opening of the exhibition, Dr. Adam Sofronijević, the author of the exhibition, and H.E. Carlos Félix, the Ambassador of Mexico to Serbia, addressed the audience. The exhi-
bition will showcase selected scientific articles by Mexican authors published in highlyranked international journals. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the illnesses and misfortunes that influenced Frida Kahlo’s art, the ethical stance of the Mexican scientific community on environmental protection, scientific research into Mexico’s rich cultural and historical heritage, as well as the exceptional achievements of Mexican science in the field of nanotechnology.
Contemporary Mosaic of Tunisia
H.E. Mrs Imen LAAJILI AMMARI, Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia in Belgrade, offered a cocktail, at the Heritage House of Belgrade, on July 10th, 2024, on the occasion of the participation of Tunisia as “Guest of Honor” in the mosaic festival of Belgrade at its 4th session, represented by the work of Tunisian mosaic artists and professors, Mr. Bady Essid JABALLAH, Mr. Karim Kraiem and Mrs. Hana Krichen.
The event was an occasion to gather the diplomatic community accredited in Belgrade, as well as Serbian artists and friends of Tunisia, sharing with them the Tunisian
history and culture of mosaics which goes back to 1200 B.C.
In her welcoming address, the Ambassador of Tunisia indicated that one significant movement of contemporary mosaic art in Tunisia is the shift towards using eco-friendly and recycled materials. This trend not only reflects a commitment to sustainability but also adds new textures and dimensions to the artworks, making them more relevant to today’s environmental discourse.
Tunisian artists introduced mosaics to the public and popular sphere to be part of social and medical projects by working with the government and the municipalities. Mosaics
in public spaces, such as murals and street art, bring art closer to the everyday lives of Tunisians. These installations not only beautify urban areas but also provoke thought by addressing social issues.
Tunisia which has one of the largest and the most beautiful collections of mosaics in the world is using mosaics, today, to help autistic children to concentrate, as well as a therapy for women victims of domestic violence.
Tunisian participation in this Festival also included the organization of a conference and a workshop, on July 7th,2024, conducted by Mr. Bady Essid Jaballah and Mr. Karim Kraiem, at the Heritage House of Belgrade.
Discover of Delightful Lebanese wine
Five renowned Lebanese wineries were presented in Belgrade on July 11 at Korpa Deli Market Dorćol. The Ambassador of the Republic of Lebanon, H.E.
12 JUN 2024
France Celebrates
Its National Day in Serbia
France’s National Day began in Serbia with a celebration of Franco-Serbian friendship and our brotherhood in arms during the First World War, in front of the Monument of Gratitude to France, erected in 1930 in Kalemegdan Park. The celebration continued with the unveiling at the French Institute of Serbia, in the presence of the French Ambassador Pierre Cochard and the Director of the Post Office Zoran Andjelković, of a new stamp commemorating the 185 years of diplomatic relations between France and Serbia. In the evening, Ambassador Pierre Cochard and his wife welcomed to the Residence the President of the National Assembly, Mrs. Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, as well as many members of the French community, representatives of Serbian authorities, our friends, and partners. A fortnight before the opening ceremony
Ms. Nada Al Akl, and the Embassy hosted this event organised by Mr. Rabih Al Akl, the representative of wineries: Ksara, Chateau St. Thomas, Ixsir, Chateau Nakad, and
of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the festivities took place under the banner of Brotherhood and Sport. Breakdancers performed in the gardens of the Residence, offering a preview of the spirit of these Games, during which, for the first time, this urban dance will be part of the official disciplines. The ambassador reiterated our ambition to make these Olympic and Paralympic Games a moment that is both popular, spectacular, and useful, addressing the challenges of our changing world. He emphasized
Domaine Wardy. The presentation and the tasting were guided by Mrs. Marija Radović, Vice-President of the Serbian Sommelier Association
that sport was a bridge between France and Serbia, with many sports figures linking our two countries and a shared passion. He recalled the determination of the President of the Republic, the French authorities, and this embassy to stand by Serbia in the long term, to contribute to its development and its progress towards the European Union. Finally, the ambassador spoke about our bilateral relationship and the prospects ahead, as we celebrate this year the 185th anniversary of our diplomatic relations.
11 JUN 2024
17 JUN 2024
The Ambassador of Korea is leaving Belgrade with Serbia in his heart
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Jaewoong Lee, organized a farewell reception at his residence as he will soon be leaving Serbia. The ambassador, who has been very socially active in Belgrade, dedicated his term to advancing bilateral relations between the two countries and significantly helped in promoting his country, its culture, and its economy here. In his speech to the gathered guests, numerous members of the diplomatic corps, journalists, business partners, and friends, the ambassador emphasized that he will continue to intensively promote Serbia in Korea and around the world. The ambassadorial position in Serbia was his first diplomatic mission, which he
30 JUNE 2024
will leave carrying wonderful memories and numerous friends that both he and his wife have made here. Dragan Nikolić, the editor of Diplomacy&Commerce magazine, attended the reception and took the opportunity to thank the ambassador for the excellent cooperation our magazine had with the Embassy
during the past period. The ambassador also expressed his special gratitude to our editorial team for their cooperation and contribution to the promotion of Korean culture. During the meeting, the ambassador was presented with a gift – a collage of photographs documenting his activities in Serbia.
The 25th Anniversary of the Enthronement of the Moroccan king celebrated in Belgrade
The National Day of the Kingdom of Morocco, the 25th Anniversary of the Enthronement of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, was celebrated with numerous guests from the diplomatic corps in Serbia,
representatives of the Serbian authorities, the Moroccan community in Serbia, and many friends and guests of the Moroccan Embassy in Belgrade. His Excellency, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Serbia, Mr Mo-
hammed Amine Belhaj, who welcomed the guests in the presence of his wife Safae, gave a speech about the successes of the Kingdom of Morocco and the excellent bilateral relations between our two countries.
31 JULY 2024
Malaysia Madani Open House
To promote Malaysia Madani policy framework on good governance, sustainable development and racial harmony, Mrs Carmallia, Charge D’ Affairs from the Embassy of Malaysia in Belgrade organized an Open House for members of the diplomatic corps and many distinguished guests.
“Tonight, we gather not just to showcase the charm of ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ but also to reinforce the bonds between our Embassy and our esteemed partners. This event embodies the spirit of collaboration and friendship that defines Malaysia”, said Mrs Carmallia
She shared insights about the Malaysia MADANI framework, which is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, prosperous, and sustainable society. This initiative is grounded in principles of integrity, compassion, and mutual respect, ensuring that every Malay-
sian has the opportunity to thrive. The Malaysia MADANI policy under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim aims for an annual GDP growth of 5.5-6% and equitable prosperity for all by focusing on economic growth and social harmony.
The Journalist
Taking over the management of a magazine that celebrates 90 years of existence next year, the oldest in the Balkans and the sixth oldest in Europe is a great honour
ALEKSANDAR TIMOFEJEV
Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of NIN
NIN, the oldest weekly magazine in the Balkans, has entered its 90th year with a new editor, an experienced journalist who says himself that he has been a journalist in two centuries, providing a personal testimony on how journalism has evolved from its initial principles to today’s modern standards. Aleksandar Timofejev, the journalist, still believes in the ideals with which he began but considers that more effort is needed to achieve media freedom and independence, as well as the safety of journalists
When almost the entire editorial team of NIN left this house due to disagreements with the owner, you took the helm. What motivated you?
where we discussed her and my ideas. Our views on journalism and the vision of the magazine not only aligned but were almost completely synchronized. I con-
IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN AN INDEPENDENT MEDIA POLICY SO THAT NO ONE DICTATES THE TOPICS WE WILL COVER OR HOW WE WILL WRITE ABOUT THEM.
When Jelena Drakulić, the owner of NIN magazine, called me to take over the position of editor, I was aware of the situation. We had several long meetings
sulted with several people I trust, including experts from the world of journalism and beyond. I also spoke with Milan Ćulibrk, the former editor of NIN, which is no
longer a secret. I called him the night before I made the final decision. Milan is my friend, and I am also on good terms with most of the people from the former editorial team. We are all colleagues, and Belgrade is a small city where everyone knows each other. The decision to accept this role was not easy, but the challenge was enormous. Taking over the leadership of a magazine that celebrates 90 years of existence next year, the oldest in the Balkans and the sixth oldest in Europe, is a great honor. This opportunity motivated me to start anew. It seems fate has destined me to often begin new projects, and this was a challenge to build a new editorial team from
scratch. Only a few colleagues remained. Now, after 25-26 issues that we have created together, I can proudly stand behind each one of them. People can say different things, but every time I wake up and look at myself in the mirror, and that is the most important thing where there are no lies, I know I did not make a mistake. Our collaboration is working well, exactly as we agreed from the beginning – there are no forbidden topics or people. NIN is open to all ideas and topics, and it will remain so. For now, I am very satisfied with what we have achieved.
Why does it matter who owns the media? Doesn’t that tell us that independent journalism doesn’t exist and that all media, regardless of which side of power they’re on, are dependent on their owner or have someone who controls the information? The question of media independence is raised, especially when owners have significant influence. Throughout my career, I have worked within different ownership structures in the media – from public service to private media companies. I spent eight years at Radio Television of Vojvodina, which was like a second home to me. I carry beautiful memories and friendships from that period, both collegial and private. I worked during the time of socialist Yugoslavia when Studio B was owned by the Socialist Alliance of Working People of Belgrade or some such organization. I was also part of Radio B92, which was first owned by the Student Union, and later privatized, where I was one of the co-owners. Our goal was to create a private public service, which was a wonderful utopia. Unfortunately, that didn’t succeed, and in the end, we sold B92. Now, I work in a private company, owned by a single person. NIN is 100% a private firm, without the involvement of other capital. When we talk about independent journalism, I like to quote the late Bogdan Tirnanić, who told me: “The freedom of journalism is won every day.” Every morning, you come to work and reclaim the space for free reporting. It’s important to maintain an independent media policy, where no one dictates the topics we will cover or how we will write about them. We have open discussions on various issues, but I do not allow anyone to impose content on me, and no one does.
I AM NOT HERE TO BE WITH YOU OR AGAINST YOU. I AM A JOURNALIST.
What about one of the basic principles of journalism, to hear all sides?
I am somewhat shocked by this. I learned journalism at a time when it was normal to present both sides of the story. Today, journalism is so polarized that it is unimaginable. Either you are with us or against us; there is no middle ground. I am not here to be with you or against you. I am a journalist. This polarization is completely incomprehensible to me. I must admit that for the eight years I was at RTV, I was not directly involved in journalism in the classical sense. I was the head of the integrated communications sector, which was a very interesting job but not directly related to the program. However, I was an occasional correspondent for WDR, the German public broadcaster, which broadcasts programs in the former Yugoslav languages,
television station is on one side, another on the opposite; there is no middle ground. I spoke with a colleague from the reputable site Politico who was shocked by the same phenomenon in Brussels where he works. This trend of simplifying and creating instant content is a global problem. People don’t have time to read books; everything comes down to short texts that can be read in a few minutes.
Does that mean that society does not seek the truth? Is it possible that we, as a society, the public, do not care about the truth and do not want to hear it?
These are questions that delve into serious philosophy, psychology, and pathology. However, I would not limit this only to us; it is the same in our surroundings and the world. Will it get better? That’s the essential question. I’m afraid it won’t. Maybe this is just a phase in the development of humanity, where we are moving towards black-and-white, simplified solutions. What will happen? I don’t belong to the type of sage who contemplates the future, but it is clear that the whole society is in a period of fast and simple solutions.
Speaking of the future, how will artificial intelligence affect journalism?
so I was continuously involved in journalism, but for foreign media. The polarization in the media is incomprehensible to me. In NIN, I assume you have had the opportunity to flip through our issues, and you can see from the covers who we feature. We are open to everyone. In the beginning, we faced a kind of boycott from both sides; everyone was suspicious of us. When they saw what we were doing, they wondered how we could have both sides. But why wouldn’t we? Readers should have the opportunity to hear all sides. This is the only kind of journalism I want to practice in the remaining time of my career. I have taught journalism a lot, at universities and in courses, and I always explained to students that this is the only way journalism can function. Unfortunately, this polarization is not just a characteristic of Serbia. In America, for example, one
I am very interested in that too. I have a hundred ideas. At the first meeting, I asked that we have something related to AI in every issue. This is something we are only beginning to encounter. AI has an influence on everything, including journalism. Am I happy that AI will overwhelm us? No, but it is inevitable, and that trend will continue.
Dangerous things will happen, like deepfakes. I speak as if this will be in the future, but it is already happening now. We will be able to put words in people’s mouths that they never said, and it will go unnoticed.
What are the current salaries in journalism, how do media outlets generate revenue how are they financed, and do they depend on advertisers and financiers?
Media outlets can survive in several ways. The first is through subscriptions, as is the case with the two public broadcasters in Serbia, although this is not a completely reliable solution. The second method is through marketing and advertisers, and the third, which I don’t think exists here, is through
voluntary contributions. The law provides for the possibility of voluntary contributions. Additionally, media outlets can apply for projects funded by ministries, and foreign and domestic organizations. However, the main source of revenue remains marketing.
We all practically operate in the market, in one way or another. The struggle against the influence of marketing and large advertisers on operations is something I have experienced personally. At the beginning of my career, when we founded Studio B television, I hosted the show “From Gossip to Truth and Back.” During my annual leave, my colleague Zoran Ostojić replaced me, and someone raised a question about alleged malpractices at the Belgrade Fair, which at the time had a third of all the ads on STB. Shortly after that, the Fair cancelled all its ads on STB, creating a problem with how to distribute salaries.
A similar situation happened at B92. We aired a documentary about how a global brand uses child labour to produce its products. The film was explosive when it appeared worldwide. When we were preparing to broadcast it, we received a warning from the importer of that brand that it would not be wise. Nevertheless, we aired the film, after which the importer withdrew all ads for their brands from B92, which constituted a significant portion of our advertising revenue.
That was an important lesson – no sponsor or agency should have more than a 10% share in revenue to ensure stability in case of withdrawal. I am sure that such pressures still exist. As a director, when I returned to Studio B, my task was to protect journalists from such economic pressures. It is not just about preventing something from being published, but also about being pressured to publish something. As someone who runs a media house, you must protect your people from such pressures.
Violence against journalists (e.g., the attack on Vuk Cvijić) remains unpunished, and society and the profession are even more divided. How do you assess the position of journalists in Serbia today, and how dangerous is it to be an investigative journalist? There has never been a time when it wasn’t dangerous. We talk about different periods, and I’ve been a journalist in two centuries. I believe that journalists need to be
IT IS CLEAR THAT THE WHOLE SOCIETY IS IN A PERIOD OF RAPID AND SIMPLISTIC SOLUTIONS.
granted official status. There are now some demands for the prosecution to react quickly. Fortunately, in this case, there were no severe consequences, but there have been many worse and more serious situations—heads were rolling, and people’s homes were set on fire.
People often ask me if things are the same now as they were back in the 1990s. I answer that back then, heads were rolling. It has never been easy to be a journalist, anywhere, including here. Were there pressures or threats in my case? Of course, I felt them personally. A few times, I was discreetly warned by people who knew what was happening on the other side of justice not to go out alone. My stance was that if I listened to such advice, I would fall into paranoia and start looking over my shoulder. I didn’t follow their advice, and fortunately, nothing happened to me.
Here’s just one example from the assembly after October 5th. The most interesting discussions always took place in the assembly restaurant. There, members of the new government (the October 5th ones) and the old government would often debate in a more relaxed atmosphere, and we journalists were also there. On one occasion, the former police minister from Milošević’s time, the late Vlajko Stojiljković, said to me, “So, Timofejev, you’re the independent journalist. Tell everyone here, when were you safer—when I was in power or now, with this Dušan Mihajlović?” I replied that during his time, I still had to sometimes look over my shoulder to see if I was being followed, to which he responded, “Well, why, we didn’t kill people like you.”
I have close friends among journalists who have had police
protection for years. It’s a real hell. I knew what they were going through because of their work and their refusal to make any compromises.
That’s why I repeat—journalists should be granted official status.
Will the truth survive? Is there a future for independent media in Serbia? And how can we achieve that goal?
I wouldn’t be doing this job if I didn’t believe that the situation would improve and that this is something extraordinarily important. How to achieve that goal is a much harder question, but the struggle continues. It’s a return to the core values of journalism. There is only one fundamental principle—don’t lie!
The bigger problem here is that public discourse has no weight. We notice that public discourse is losing significance everywhere. To what extent social media and artificial intelligence have contributed to this is a question for futurologists. How everything will look in the future, I don’t know. We’ll see.
Even if we Don’t Want to Change, the World is Changing
Unfortunately, politicians tend to have a mindset that only stretches from one election to the next, while the energy sector requires time, decisions, and long-term investments
PROFESSOR DR. ZORANA Z. MIHAJLOVIĆ
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
When jadarite, a new mineral with a chemical composition very similar to the fictional kryptonite, was discovered in Serbia about twenty years ago, many were thrilled. Kryptonite, a mineral from Superman’s planet Krypton, emits radiation that can break even the strongest, but Superman can resist it due to his powers. Serbs hoped
THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY PROJECTS A FURTHER INCREASE IN LITHIUM PRICES
they were Supermen, but now they realize that this local “kryptonite” might more likely destroy them than strengthen them. In a conversation with Professor Dr. Zorana Z. Mihajlović, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister, we tried to find out whether jadarite is our future or our ultimate fate.
Following the decision of the Constitutional Court to annul the decision of the Serbian Government from two years ago, which revoked the specialpurpose spatial plan for the Jadar area where lithium mining was planned, it seems that Serbia is on the brink of civil
war. In your opinion, what is the root of this seemingly endless problem?
Critical Mineral Resources (CMRs) are the resource base of the future for the entire world and every country. According to the International Energy Agency, global electricity demand will increase by 165% by 2050, which means a growth in production and demand for critical mineral resources like lithium, uranium, cobalt, chromium, copper, gold, antimony, and more. All responsible countries already have their strategies in this area because the develop-
ment and survival of a nation depend on these resources. Serbia is the only country in the world with reserves of a single mineral, jadarite, which has been verified in the global nomenclature of new minerals. It is not pure lithium and has a unique composition compared to all other deposits in Europe or other parts of the world.
Energy and mining have never existed outside political and geopolitical frameworks. Jadarite was exploited two years ago for opposition and so-called green movements to gain prominence and enter Parliament, riding on the wave of lies and untruths. Rio Tinto has been in Serbia for 23 years, since 2001, and all governments have granted and extended its exploration rights because mineral exploration typically takes time, with lithium exploration averaging around 11 years. In December 2020, they certified a report on reserves of 158 million tons, coinciding with the year before the presidential elections. Thus, jadarite became part of the opposition’s agenda, even though they knew nothing about it, and at that time, there was no data or completed environmental impact studies. No one could have known anything about it. But when something is new and completely unknown, it becomes a haven for those who will try to profit from it, causing great harm by misleading the people of Jadar with daily apocalyptic scenarios that have no basis in truth.
Riding on that wave, the socalled greens entered Parliament, despite never having done anything in the field of environmental protection, never addressing any waste disposal sites, making plans, proposing law changes, improving anything in this area, suggesting new strategies, or attempting to tackle landfills, quarries, or ash dumps. They had all the data, especially regarding waste, landfills, and ash dumps, which claim thousands of lives annually. The division created in society, between those who are for and those who are against, has turned into political confrontations, which is wrong. This project transcends any individual and political party.
Is there economic logic in the Jadar project, considering that our mining royalty would only be three percent, the price of lithium is drastically falling, the environmental and health risks are enormous, and this
THE FIRST GREEN MINE IN SERBIA IS ČUKARU PEKI, IN RTB BOR—DIGITALIZED AND UNDERGROUND, SO YOU WOULDN’T KNOW IT’S A MINE UNLESS TOLD.
area already generates excellent income from agriculture?
The mining royalty in our country is calculated based on revenue rather than business results, so you can incur a loss and still have to pay the royalty. This project isn’t just about revenue from the mining royalty; it also presents an opportunity for the state to utilize the legal framework established in 2021 to secure an investment agreement, further ensuring not only environmental protection but also strengthening obligations in other areas. The project is much larger and has a significant impact on the overall economic development, not just for a year or two, but for the next 50 years. Moreover, the price of lithium is currently only temporarily falling; if you are well-informed, you know that prices rose significantly until 2023, after which they fell for several reasons. These include the slowerthan-expected pace of the green transition, which led to a build-up of stocks, particularly of batteries, as well as geopolitical conflicts like the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza war. On the other hand, investments in the exploration and exploitation of lithium and other critical mineral resources are still growing. The International Energy Agency projects a further increase in lithium prices. Additionally, it’s worth noting that the production and prices
ies and estimates? How exactly are we destroying our future? It seems that for many, the best option is to change nothing, sit quietly, shut down everything we have, and plant flowers. But that’s not how it works; even if we don’t want to change, the world is changing.
of lithium have increased tenfold in the past 10 years compared to any other critical mineral resource. There are indeed not only economic benefits but enormous advantages for Serbia. For Serbia, jadarite is not just about mining; it involves the entire chain, including battery manufacturing and electric vehicle factories. The impact on GDP with an electric vehicle factory is 26%.
Secondly, I cannot agree with the claims about income from agriculture—it’s not accurate. If that were true, this sector would have developed in the way you’re suggesting long ago. If you read the environmental impact assessment studies, you will find a section called the baseline soil research of Jadar, which shows that the soil is contaminated with heavy metals like antimony, mercury, and titanium, far beyond safe limits. This has nothing to do with lithium but with all the activities that have taken place in this area. Interestingly, neither the locals nor various environmentalists have ever wanted to address this issue.
If lithium is Serbia’s greatest opportunity, why are we giving it away for next to nothing and destroying our future in the process?
How do you know we’re giving it away for next to nothing? Have you looked at the preliminary stud-
A bit about how Rio Tinto’s journey in Serbia unfolded: they appeared here 23 years ago, conducted extensive research, and all governments and parties extended their exploration rights. They discovered jadarite, which was registered as a completely new and unique mineral in the world. It’s important to know that the mining law was changed in 2006, when Rio Tinto was already here, to automatically grant exploration rights to those conducting the research, unlike the previous 1995 law, which stipulated that after research confirmed reserves, a public call would be issued by the state to select who would carry out the exploitation under state terms. Unfortunately, they changed it in 2006. Aware of this, we changed the law in 2021, but due to acquired rights, we couldn’t revert to the provisions of the 1995 law. What we could do, we did—we introduced an Investment Agreement, through which the state tightens conditions for everything from environmental protection to infrastructure. The fact that Serbia has an entire chain not only provides economic benefits but also offers a different political and geopolitical positioning for Serbia, along with new technologies, green jobs, and all the things we currently don’t have and would struggle to achieve on our own.
How do you comment on the practical occupation of Eastern Serbia by Chinese investors?
The environment is destroyed, the property of citizens and the state is owned by a foreign corporation, the laws of this country are not respected, and there are no worker rights or environmental protection. Having specifically looked into ZiJin, for example, I can say that it’s not exactly like that. We can agree that RTB Bor barely existed, and the entire region used to live off it and develop. With the arrival of ZiJin, things have changed—the construction of a new smelter has resolved the pollution issue, and this is monitored 24/7, 365 days a year. They invested and built it. Had they not done so, Bor would still be the most polluted part of Serbia. Furthermore, the first green mine in
Serbia is Čukaru Peki, in RTB Bor— digitalized and underground, so you wouldn’t know it’s a mine unless told. Serbian environmental protection laws are aligned with EU laws and standards, so they exist, and I believe they are being implemented. While I led the Ministry of Mining and Energy, we were involved in inspection work. With ZiJin, we had some fines, and they complied with everything. So, whether the investor is domestic or foreign, they behave as the state demands. Of course, I believe nothing is perfect, but I also know that the number and independence of inspectors are important because only in this way will they not hesitate to stop anything that is not by the law.
Who is responsible for this situation? Everyone blames their predecessors. What do you think, given that you’ve been with both the current and former authorities, but now you’re not aligned with either side?
Mining isn’t a short-term issue, nor is energy in general, and realistically, everyone shares some “blame,” especially regarding the enforcement of laws. Serbia has good laws, well-aligned with EU standards and legislation. The problem has always been enforcement and/or selective application. This depends on who leads the Ministry and the inspectors themselves. There are changes needed there. However, I find it hard to agree that things are the same or worse because I know how much and what we did to change things. When I came to the Ministry of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure, there were about eight sectors, and each sector or assistant had their inspection, setting their own rules and controls, which isn’t feasible. I did as much as I could—I separated the inspections from each sector (which wasn’t readily accepted), gave them a special place in the Ministry as a distinct sector with its assistant, and granted them all the independence I could. No one ever intervened or made requests; they had freedom, and there were results. I did the same in mining and energy, from removing the assistant for mining—about whom no company or employee had anything good to say, alleging misuse of position—to forming a separate inspection sector. Unfortunately, the mentioned individual was reinstated, and the inspection work in energy and mining now doesn’t exist. That’s the issue: inspections must be independent, respected, and authoritative.
WHETHER THE INVESTOR IS DOMESTIC OR FOREIGN, THEY BEHAVE AS THE STATE DEMANDS
Is there something you regret doing or not doing while you were in power that, from this perspective, you think you should have done?
I regret not being able to complete the documents that form the foundation of green development, namely the National Plan for Climate and Energy, which set emission limits and offered scenarios for the development of Serbia’s energy sector. The new Ministry not only increased the allowed emissions but also lacked the desire, knowledge, and energy. These are significant issues for the energy sector that require agreement from everyone. I don’t regret the energy and passion I put into making changes. I loved my job, gathered knowledgeable people rather than politically suitable ones, learned, listened to everyone, and made decisions. That’s why there were results; no one can do it alone. I believe I should have been even more aggressive regarding the reforms of public enterprises because, despite my best efforts, these enterprises were often the channels through which all that was not passed or everything that hindered the development of energy and mining on a national level.
The energy system in Serbia has been in chaos for a long time. Where is the problem?
this sector needs to happen from the top down. The experts within the companies have been silenced, as was evident in December 2021 during the collapse. EPS has 6,000 engineers, and they remained silent because it was easier that way, to stay quiet with Grčić. There is no difference with the current director, as no part of the energy sector is in good condition. The construction of Block B3 in Kostolac has been going on for ten years, as if it were a spaceship. Meanwhile, having a thermal power plant with poor lignite in this day and age is not a solution.
Why is there not more effort invested in developing healthy and sustainable energy sources in Serbia? Do we have a chance as a country and society in this area?
The problem lies in the lack of strong political will because resolving and reforming Serbia’s electricity system requires serious measures that touch every part of society. The energy sector has long been controlled by tycoons who practically run it, and this was true both before and after 2000, as well as after 2012 (Hamović, Lazarević, Petrović...). Today, unqualified individuals determine what will be done, and the authorities either listen to them or work in agreement with them. The energy sector could have already been the greenest and most developed, but instead, it remains a dirty sector with outdated technologies and landfills and ash deposits that only increase the number of sick and deceased, rather than following the path it has the potential for. The reliance on shadow ministers, the employment of party loyalists, and the lack of vision or strategy— because the true strategy conflicts with other interests—are all issues, and they are compounded by the appointment of loyalists to the leadership of entities like EPS, EDS, EMS, and Srbijagas. The same goes for supervisory boards. There needs to be more expertise because, in general, experts are less likely to tolerate crime and corruption. If there were fewer people who were “bought,” things would be different, but reform of
Unfortunately, politicians tend to have a mindset that only stretches from one election to the next, while the energy sector requires time, decisions, and long-term investments. The reform of the sector, investment in renewable energy sources, solar and wind power plants, the use of hydrogen, projects to increase energy efficiency, new reversible hydroelectric plants, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions—all of which should be imperatives—are often seen here as imposed obligations, and increasingly as conspiracies, often referred to as “green jihad.”
The future of this sector, and thus economic development, lies in moving away from dirty fossil fuels—lignite coal, gas—and simultaneously investing in hydro capacities, renewable sources like solar energy, wind, and hydrogen, as well as investing in small nuclear reactors and increasing energy efficiency. Two years ago, everything was ready for the construction of the reversible hydropower plant Đerdap 3, but nothing has come of it, just as with Bistrica and the 1-gigawatt solar power plant. Serbia has fantastic potential, but its energy sector is mired in corruption, crime, and ignorance, which prevents green energy from breaking through because when a single household installs solar panels, everything changes.
There is a draft Strategy for Energy Development that is entering public discussion, which I initiated, and is now in draft form, but it contains inaccurate data—from the capacities that can be built to the investment values—because no one cares. I would keep sending the draft back until the best version is achieved, and only then put it out for public discussion.
Who consumes the most alcohol in the world?
It’s the season for vacations, barbecues, beaches, and heat. People often gather to have a drink or two for refreshment or go out to restaurant gardens with wine and music. All of this is acceptable as long as it is in moderation, but it’s easy to slip into excess. So, which countries lead in alcohol consumption worldwide? Here’s the list. Or should we start from the bottom? Which countries drink the least per capita? The answer won’t surprise you – Somalia, Bangladesh, Mauritania, Libya, Kuwait, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia are either “dry” or “almost completely dry” countries in terms of alcohol, which is no wonder given that they strictly adhere to Islamic principles. However, we must admit that Bangladesh surprises us because it has pronounced religious minorities and is located in some of the hottest places in the world, yet it still has 0 litres per capita for those over 15 years old. Except for Saudi Arabia, where men somehow manage to drink 0.3 litres of pure alcohol annually on average. The vast majority of countries where less than 1 litre of pure alcohol is consumed annually are Muslim, but it is interesting that Iranians manage, according to WHO data, to drink 1 litre
annually. Keep in mind that in Iran, Christians and Zoroastrians are allowed alcohol.
On the list of “moderate” drinkers are countries like Uzbekistan, Tunisia, Turkey, or Ghana, with between 1 and 3 litres of alcohol per capita, and they are somewhat “more relaxed” in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, or Azerbaijan with between 4 and 5 litres. Indians drink 5.5 litres of alcohol annually, while Mexicans, although famous for their beers and tequila, do not drink more than 5 litres. The Chinese manage to drink 7.1 litres annually, Brazilians 7.4, Italians 7.8 litres, Japanese 8, Ukrainians 8.3 litres, and Serbs 8.8 litres are similar to Swedes with 8.9 litres of pure alcohol annually per capita for those aged 15 and older.
Croatians drink 9.2 litres of alcohol annually, the same as Estonians, while the Dutch are at 9.6 litres, just slightly less than the very relaxed South Koreans with 9.7 litres per person. The saying “Drinks like a Russian” doesn’t hold up, as Russians seem to drink only 11.2 litres annually, and the Russian saying “Drinks like a Finn” is not quite accurate either, as they are even more temperate, with only 10.8 litres. Hungarians drink 11.4 litres, and Montenegrins
11.5 litres, which would make them leaders in the region if it weren’t for the Slovenians with 11.9 litres per capita. The British are quite different from their stereotype, as they drink “only” 11.5 litres, like Belarusians, who surprisingly drink more than both Russians and Ukrainians. Poland is above all Eastern Slavs in relaxed alcohol consumption, with 11.7 litres, even surpassing the Slovaks with 11.1 litres, but they lag behind their western neighbours who lead this list.
Surprisingly high on the list is Burkina Faso with 12 litres per capita, making it the African country with the “silver medal” for highest alcohol consumption, and only “more relaxed” than Austrians (12), French (12.3), Spaniards, and Bulgarians, the champions of the Balkans (12.7), Latvia (12.8), Luxembourg, Germany, and Ireland (12.9), while in 4th place globally is Lithuania with 13.2 litres of alcohol. And here we come to the “medalists” – the bronze goes to the Czechs with 14.5 litres annually, silver to Ugandans with 15.1 litres, and gold to the residents of Seychelles, with an astounding 20.5 litres annually! Unexpected, but now you know where you can best relax with C2H5OH!
The World in (Com)Motion
You may not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you
Today, many people don’t have a TV and don’t watch the news, and if they come across any news, it’s through social media. A friend of mine recently watched the news with her father and was shocked by all that had happened in the world over the past month. She swore to follow the news more seriously because, as the saying goes, you may not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you
AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
For those who went on vacation and turned off their phones, they had quite a surprise upon returning – an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, his defiant fist raised while covered in blood, and the emergence of a new heroic figure who had a clear path ahead in the presidential race against the stumbling Joe Biden. This marked a significant part of the news concerning one of the most important elections in the world.
BEING A EURO-ENTHUSIAST IN SERBIA HAS BECOME MORE DIFFICULT THAN EVER
President Biden’s incredible stubbornness was epic, despite previously swearing he would serve only one term. The Democrats began to panic as a defeat seemed inevitable and depressingly convincing. For weeks, there was talk of who could replace him – many names were mentioned, including familiar figures from two “Democratic dynasties” – Michelle Obama, who immediately denied her candidacy, and Hillary Clinton, who had already lost to Trump but possesses a similar stubbornness to Biden’s. However, the Democrats quickly pressured Biden into “abdicating in advance” (he remains president until January) and installed Kamala
Harris in his place. Even The Economist did not believe she would be his replacement and urged in its articles for Biden to find a replacement. But now Kamala is here – and the Democrats have gained new energy. The Republicans were not thrilled, as old Joe was an easy target due to his gaffes and advanced age – Kamala also has some gaffes but is younger, more vital, smiling, and energetic.
Nevertheless, The Economist notes that she lacks two things: time (only four months until the election) and charisma. She has been known to change her positions based on the situation (sometimes for, sometimes against the death penalty, and so on), and overall, she seems like a party apparatchik, someone who somehow rose to the top in the Communist Party of the USSR thanks to patience, connections, keeping quiet when necessary, and “correct opinions.”
Now it’s up to the Democrats to turn her into a Personality with a capital P, so we’ll
see many situations like the one where she plays with children in a school, or on the other hand, Hulk Hogan tearing his shirt in front of Trump. In a word, Trump has always been an entertainer, and Harris now has to become less “gray” than she has been remembered as a vice president who knows how to raise donations and step aside to make room for her president.
What interests us in the world is America’s relationship with Russia and Ukraine, or China and Europe, but these are not the main issues for the American voter – Kamala will have to talk much less about Ukraine and much more about immigration (which has reached truly high levels under Biden), inflation (a consequence of COVID-19), crime, as well as the opioid epidemic in the US, infrastructure that is collapsing while China builds hundreds of kilometers of high-speed rail, and similar issues, as well as employment for “ordinary” Americans, for a whole cohort of people like Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin. And she has a “hero” against her – who has created such a cult following that his supporters wear a bandage on their ear!
and Niger. Consciously rejecting decades of ties to France, they sought help from others, including Russia and China, but without aligning with any blocs, instead wisely balancing (like India), wanting to be friends with everyone, but above all (again like India) to improve the lives of their citizens.
FRENCH HEADACHES ARE THE EPITOME OF SOMETHING BIGGER
A lot of superficial analyses have been written about how the elections in France supposedly saved democracy and society in the country – but we won’t join that camp. The elections in France were not a “referendum against the right (RN),” but a “referendum against the center” represented by Emmanuel Macron – the only difference being that the “anti-center” side featured two opposing options – the true Left and the true Right, embodied in the New People’s Front (NFP) and the National Rally (RN). And – the center lost.
The nominally victorious Left is even less tolerated by the Center than the Right, and we will see how the situation develops in a parliament where three main factions are irreconcilable. The Left demanded that the new Prime Minister be Lucie Castets from the Socialist Party, known for fighting against cuts to public services and against corruption, but Macron refused to nominate her “until the end of the Olympics.”
All of this is symptomatic of a deeper problem: the disappearance of the true Left in the late 1980s, when workers found themselves without anyone to represent their interests. All traditional parties had become parties of the Center: Center–left, Center-right, and “Centralcenter”, which alternated with cosmetic policy changes, more concerned with investments (and The Economist lamented how the “brilliant government of Macron secured so many investments”) than with those who generate profit from these investments – the workers. Then the right-wingers appeared, proposing measures appealing to workers, but also
THE CENTER HAS FAILED TO ADDRESS THE PRESSING ISSUES OF THE CITIZENS FOR DECADES, AND THEY ARE RIGHTFULLY SEEKING ANSWERS TO THEIR EXISTENTIAL PROBLEMS
BOTH FROM THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT
playing the identity card, and things became serious. The Leftists exploited the crisis of modern capitalism in the same way as the right-wingers, only without the national component. Both rode the wave of discontent since the time of the “Yellow Vests.”
The Center fails to understand, as do the analysts defending it, that neither the victory of the Left nor the Right is an “aberration” that will pass because “the end of history,” as Fukuyama mistakenly said, will bring everything back to equilibrium and benefit the capitalists. This time, workers are truly exhausted, after the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, inflation, and the green transition. Simply put, the center has failed to address the burning issues of citizens for decades, and they are rightly seeking answers to their existential problems from both the left and right of the center, which is seen as “a servant of capital.” And that is true democracy.
As for France’s other problems, they epitomize the weakening of Europe as a whole – and despite more than 60 years since the independence of French North Africa, some countries, incredibly rich in resources, still live on the edge of poverty or below it. The time has come when they started looking for “better opportunities” – the coups in the Sahel resulted in the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali,
While France was preoccupied with a possible military intervention in Ukraine, a different kind of “flower” grew in its “African backyard.” The attempt to more strongly “bind” New Caledonia to the motherland also did not end well. If there is a lesson to be learned from this story, it is that great powers should first and foremost take care of their backyard, lest they, like the ancient Greek philosopher, step on a rake and get hit in the head while looking at the stars. The tragic “decline of High Streets in the UK” and the “decline of seaside towns” and places “left behind” in the UK led to Brexit, not the UK’s foreign policy. And we can continue in this vein.
ECOLOGY AND POLITICS
There was a time when China was heavily criticized for polluting the planet too much, with excessive emissions from cars, factories, power plants, etc., accelerating climate change. Then the Chinese invested in green technologies, and their electric vehicles are now the most affordable in the world and have the fastest growth. Now, even that is criticized, with China being blamed for transitioning to electric vehicles “too quickly,” causing others to struggle to keep up, threatening the European auto industry with collapse. In response, large tariffs have been imposed on Chinese cars (which didn’t stop BYD from being the main sponsor of Euro ‘24 in the middle of Germany, with their ads airing every day). It seems that China is always at fault.
It also seems that the European, particularly the German, auto industry has found a “solution” to this, which is – Serbian lithium! According to a memorandum signed in Belgrade, by Chancellor Scholz, one in every five cars in the EU will be powered by batteries made from Serbian lithium, effectively making Serbia a “mining outpost” for the EU. A strong resistance to lithium mining quickly emerged, even stronger than 2-3 years ago, and public opinion in Serbia turned against the idea of Serbia bearing the burden of helping Germany catch up with China in the auto industry, to its detriment. To make matters worse, this is the biggest blow to pro-European sentiments in Serbia since 2008, with the partial recognition of Kosovo. An epic own goal for the EU in its attempt to catch up and surpass China in the electric vehicle sector. It’s the third such own goal, following the support for the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992, and the aforementioned Kosovo issue in 2008 (not to mention the infamous 1999). Being a Euro-enthusiast in Serbia has become harder than ever.
Will we Live as Free People in Our Country
Here is an opportunity for the basic elements - earth, water, air, and even fi re—to fi nally unite people around something healthy
ALEKSANDAR JOVANOVIĆ ĆUTA
Environmental activist and politician
In Serbia, mass protests against lithium mining have begun. While the authorities, on one hand, are making every effort to justify lithium mining, environmental movements, together with citizens, are clearly and seemingly very loudly expressing their protest. We spoke on this occasion with Aleksandar Jovanović - Ćuta, who believes that this is a unique opportunity for the people to unite in the fight for their freedom and right to a healthy environment.
What have these protests in the cities of Serbia against Rio Tinto and lithium mining shown us?
The crime that is being systematically and continuously committed against nature and the people who live in its immediate surroundings, and who rely on it, has reached its peak. It represents an attack on everything healthy in this country, and it has been going on for a very long time. At the same time, the people who live off this land, who feed us, from academics to shepherds, no longer want to discuss or debate whether it is normal to displace those who feed us, to poison their fields and water sources, and to destroy everything for the sake of some project, for a handful of lithium. No one wants to discuss that anymore. This is no longer a question of whether you are for or against it. It is a matter of common sense, of basic human dignity. It is
no longer a question of mines, memorandums, or their policies; it is a question of basic human dignity. Will we live as free people in our country, which should remain healthy, which we should leave as such to our children? This is the question of where such energy comes from. The more Vučić and Brnabić appear on television claiming that this project is good, the more people will be on the streets. I am confident that this will be resolved quickly.
THE CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES OF THIS POTENTIAL ECOCIDE, SHOULD THE MINE BE ESTABLISHED, HAVE BEEN CLEARLY OUTLINED IN STUDIES AND PRESENTATIONS BY THE EXPERTS IN THE FIELD
How can a battle against Rio Tinto be won on the streets if the institutions are completely at the service of the government pushing the project? Do you believe that protests can awaken the institutions? What if that doesn’t happen?
Our institutions are plagued by corruption. It’s not just about the streets, but also the forests.
Everyone warns, “Be careful not to end up in the streets,” but I tell them, “Be careful not to end up in the forests.” They will have a chance to see what that means if the cursed machinery appears in the magical Jadar Valley, which is essentially a death sentence. Vučić and Scholz will have the opportunity to witness the famous Serbian hospitality of the peasants, treating them as enemies, which is what they are.
I am not speaking without experience. From Stara Planina, we know what it means when they try to leave us without our water, streams, and rivers; it led to a general uprising, and they had to abandon those plans. No one is foolish enough to even discuss with you whether this project will go ahead or not; they will be received as they deserve. If that machinery appears in Gornja Nedeljica, it will be met with the appropriate response.
Regarding the streets and blockades, that’s what will follow. On the 10th, everyone who has taken to the streets in the past month will gather here. It will be an eruption of dissatisfaction. If anyone still doesn’t understand that the people are against this, then they have a problem of a different kind, not a rational one. Vučić needs to understand that there is no chance anyone will think this project is good for Serbia. This project is not about mining; it’s a deliberate project of ethnic cleansing, displacing people from areas they have lived in for centuries, and it’s particularly sensitive when you bring in Germans, especially to displace Serbs for lithium exploitation, to line their pockets with billions while displacing our people.
The potential consequences would affect a much wider area, not just the Jadar Valley and the Mačva region; half of Serbia would be impacted by this project.
The catastrophic consequences of this potential ecocide, should the mine be established, have been clearly outlined in studies and presentations by the experts in the field. These are the most knowledgeable individuals in biology, environmental protection, geology, agriculture, and ichthyology. Academics who, two years ago, stated what would happen if this project goes ahead.
If someone has a problem believing these people, like Academician Šolaja, like Nenad Kostić, one of the greatest living chemists in the world, like the late Vlada Stevanović, or if they don’t trust the Faculty of Biology, which was engaged by Rio Tinto to conduct an environmental impact assessment and which clearly stated that destruction of all living things in the area would occur, then they have an issue with reality.
Who is lying in this story about lithium?
The government claims that you and other environmental activists are using falsehoods regarding the harm of lithium mining, while you and all the opponents claim that the government is lying.
Twelve years of A. Vučić’s and the SNS’s rule is a collection of severe crimes and criminal acts against nature. Those who claim they will meet ecological standards for this mine have left behind dozens of dried-up riverbeds, killing rivers and shoving them into pipes, destroying all life within them. Their actions are brutally evident. Hundreds of hectares of completely deforested land, poisoned fields, thousands of dumpsites, and, ultimately, 15,000 citizens died from air pollution, as reported by the WHO. These are the collective works of the SNS, which can simply be called ecocide and a crime against nature and people.
For someone living in the areas that would be sacrificed for mining, is it important who is lying, or do they simply have the right to not want the mine regardless of what the studies and experts say?
Whoever digs a lithium pit for their people will fall into it themselves. This is a new folk proverb. The real question is, who decides whether there will be a mine or not? And fundamental-
WHOEVER DIGS A LITHIUM PIT FOR THEIR PEOPLE WILL FALL INTO IT THEMSELVES
ly, whose lithium is it? Whose gold is it? Whose natural resources are they? Everything below and above the ground, whose is it? Who does it belong to, and who decides how it will be exploited? Certainly not Aleksandar Vučić and Scholz, but those who live on that land. Everyone should ask themselves whether they would send their child to a school in Gornje Nedeljice and what it’s like to be a child in that place when the whole world is piling on your village, your childhood, your parents, your fields, your barn, and the animals you live with. What is it like to be a child in Gornje Nedeljice when your village starts to crumble? Then ask why Gornje Nedeljice lives like Serbia after the NATO bombing: destroyed houses, broken hearts, people moving out, pressured to sell their land.
How do you comment on the attitude of the West and diplomats in Serbia regarding this issue?
From the east, the Chinese and Comrade Xi struck, ravaging Bor and Majdanpek, and from the west, Scholz struck. In reality, everyone has come for their share of the spoils, with
Vučić acting like a waiter and turning Serbia into a smorgasbord. Whoever came here got whatever they wanted from Vučić. The Chinese got gold and copper, the Russians got gas and oil, and now the third predator is up—Rio Tinto, representing the West, which sees us as prey. They couldn’t care less about who is in power here or about democracy. It’s a form of perfidious hypocrisy and deceit reigning in the EU, pretending to care while demanding we meet certain standards. Would they accept such terms?
So, what is not acceptable for you is not acceptable for us either. Don’t try to sell us the story that we need to meet some standards. We will protect nature as you do. It’s very simple.
If I am engaged in organic food production on my land, why should it be indifferent to me if my neighbour stores waste right next to my fence (EU and Serbia)? Shouldn’t it be in the EU’s interest for Serbia to also be “clean,” considering we are like the backyard next to theirs?
There is no concern for nature when it comes to Serbia providing them with lithium. Lithium is their answer to Chinese electric car production. They see us as prey. There is no rational, ecological, or humane aspect from the EU’s perspective—they see us as a colony.
But whoever gives something must certainly get something in return. So, if Vučić gives them whatever they desire, what does he get in return?
What he cherishes most, what he can’t live without, what he is organically tied to—power, unlimited power. Vučić is an addict; he’s overdosed on power. He is a severe addict of what we call power and might. He gets to imagine himself as a god in exchange for giving away anything and everything.
This is not a political issue since we’ve seen that opponents of the mine come from all parties and political orientations. However, it is indeed an ultimate political issue because politics shapes the lives of ordinary citizens. What do you think?
The previous government is also involved in this, and the current government still participates in this scheme. The principle here is whoever can grab something does. For 30 years, there have been no real changes. After everything that has happened to us—wars and horrors—the same people who controlled things 30 years ago still control them today. We haven’t known Vučić just since yesterday; we’ve known him for 30 years. These are the same people who led this country into wars. And we are still not ready to decide what kind of country we want to live in. That should be our decision. We are not capable of replacing Vučić. We keep dealing with the same ghosts from the past. This is up to us, not him. Here is an opportunity for the basic elements - earth, water, air, and even fire—to finally unite people around something healthy. If people are going to rally around something, if there is something healthy to rally around that isn’t politics, it is the environment. These are the basic elements we must unite around.
The Democratic Gambit
Do the Democrats have enough time to reorganize their campaign and win after sacrificing Joe, or will Trump become the first convicted President of the United States?
After the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the Democrats could only “close shop” because the bullet that grazed Trump’s ear would have made him a double President of the United States—if they hadn’t executed the gambit. Those who study history remember that after the assassination attempt on Reagan, his opponent Walter Mondale won 13 electoral votes, just as after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson destroyed Barry Goldwater. Thus, the puzzle with Trump is clear. Those who understand a bit about chess know what a gambit means (opening the game by sacrificing a pawn for better development of the attack). Therefore, Joseph Biden’s withdrawal is not surprising. It was inevitable and expected. Perhaps even at the right moment. Biden was sacrificed for a higher goal of the game. That bullet in Pennsylvania went through Trump’s ear and killed Joe. It could have been different if it had veered a millimeter to the right. Certainly, it was a significant step. People have short memories and quickly forget events, but it will be shown how that day changed the course of events, the effect of the shot at Trump in Pennsylvania, not
JOSEPH BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL IS NOT SURPRISING. IT WAS INEVITABLE AND EXPECTED
only on American politics. (The semi-automatic rifle used in the shooting is owned by 25 million Americans and is the most popular weapon among his supporters).
The world press pretends to be puzzled as to why Biden stepped down now, concluding that it will remain a mystery why he pulled the plug just three months before the election. Yet, in one sentence, he briefly and clearly summarized the point, ending the agonies of acknowledged and self-proclaimed analysts by saying: “It’s best for the party and the country.” With these words, almost all Democrats’ thoughts about his candidacy were summarized. Almost everyone except Biden knew that a man in his ninth decade was too much to lead the greatest world power for another four years. Now it had also become clear
to him that after the shooting in Pennsylvania, all his chances were sunk. And what specifically happened behind the scenes on that non-working day when he was fired is anyone’s guess. The sight of Trump, wounded with a raised fist, proclaiming “I will fight, no surrender,” left a strong impression.
The debate in which he previously demolished Biden is probably the most disgraceful public appearance in Democratic history. Under these conditions, even Kamala Harris has a far better chance. This will be ensured by Barack Obama, who has returned to the campaign with exceptionally aggressive displays of support and affection.
Trump claims he will defeat her more easily than Biden. This is another of his falsehoods, which could become true if the Democrats do not react quickly. And they will have to act fast, meaning the upcoming period will be extremely turbulent and thus interesting for the media and analysts.
Do the Democrats have enough time to reorganize the campaign and win after firing Joe, or will Trump become the first convicted President of the United States?
Whether Trump will benefit more from the bullet than the Democrats from Biden’s harakiri will not be known until after the election. If Vice President Harris succeeds, we will say that the Democrats’ gambit was the right move. If she loses, analysts will conclude that they should have stayed with Biden—even though that doesn’t mean he would have won. Meanwhile, polls will do their work. Experts will forecast. Biden will remain in the Oval Office (until January 2025), Trump will launch an even fiercer campaign, and the Democrats will need to quickly decide how to play the final stretch. The bullet that changes everything has eliminated Biden and become either a deadly enemy or a lucky bullet for Kamala Harris. The Democrats made a good move, but the decision also pushed their nomination into uncertainty.
Why? Never in American history has a presidential candidate withdrawn their candidacy just a few months before the November elections. Biden is the first sitting president to abandon a bid for a second term since Lyndon Johnson did it. However, Johnson did so much earlier, in March 1968. No party candidate has ever dropped out of the race so close to the election. This represents the largest possible change, and timing is extremely crucial in a campaign. The American presidential system is unique. Elections last a long time and are extremely costly. Such a situation, which might be normal in Italy or Great Britain, is unprecedented in the U.S. The candidate of the major political party in the U.S. is changing, and whoever steps in will not be known as Joe.
Vice President Kamala Harris quickly received support from party colleagues, former President Barack Obama, California Governor Gavin Newsom (who was mentioned as a potential rival for the position), former President Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton, who was the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, as well as Biden himself, whose support is crucial but Democrats still need to present her to the public. A person who has not been in the spotlight is set to become the first woman at the helm of the U.S. This is a huge task in such a short time. The Re-
Photo: Hadrian / Shutterstock.com
publicans have already dragged her through the mud. Quick action in the right direction is the Democrats’ only path. It might be in their favor that Trump is dealing with legal troubles, though it remains to be seen whether the fact that he could now be close to prison, but is also close to the White House, matters. Americans were troubled by the thought that the oldest president in history could lead the country for another four years. His gaffes, poor and uneven performances, including the debate debacle with Trump, did not convince them that he was stronger than his years. On the other hand, Trump is the first former American president to be convicted of a crime and has excellent prospects of becoming the president again as the first convicted criminal. The Supreme Court is soon expected to decide whether a trial in Georgia, where he is charged with denying the results of the 2020 election and inciting riots at the Capitol, will take place before November. In Florida, he faces federal charges for allegedly keeping classified documents illegally removed from the White House at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
NEVER IN AMERICAN HISTORY HAS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WITHDRAWN THEIR CANDIDACY JUST A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS
WHAT IS DEMOCRACY IN THE LEADING FREE WORLD POWER TURNING INTO WHEN TRUMP IS DOING BETTER?
Kamala Harris should attract younger voters. She is smart and knows what she is doing. She will leverage her past performance in the campaign. She will refer to the Democratic platform—better health insurance, taxation of excess profits, stopping Trump who opposes abortion, and fighting for wage increases. She
was a prosecutor and Democratic voters know her, but she lacks a national profile. Voters like to associate these words with a figure. The answer to the subtitle’s dilemma lies precisely in her charisma.
KAMALA
RUNS FASTER THAN BIDEN
Pollsters have already jumped into action and found that Kamala is catching up with Trump, who has “eaten Biden’s dust.” The percentage difference in voter support between them is decreasing. Trump is playing hard. He shakes hands with the Israeli Prime Minister, warning that a Third World War will break out if he doesn’t win in November. Kamala is changing her tone on Gaza, becoming more empathetic. She closely follows the Republican who plans to capitalize on the assassination attempt once again by organizing a rally at the place where they tried to kill him. Knowing him, he will turn that stage into a shrine.
FISHING FOR UNDECIDED VOTERS
Biden’s withdrawal will shake up some states that were previously solidly behind Trump. They will become uncertain. Both camps will battle for the voters who are now indecisive, especially in key battlegrounds like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. The coming days will be crucial as it will become clear to what extent donors, Democrats, and other supporters back Kamala Harris. It will also become crystal clear who is working against her, as some governors are certainly making serious efforts behind the scenes to promote their candidacies. Most have publicly offered her support in a short time. A video showing Kamala on the speakerphone with Obama, who showers her with praise and melodious epithets, has quickly spread around the world. She is maximizing the moment by holding the phone to the microphone attached to her jacket, ensuring that the whole world hears. However, if the party is not confident that she can win, Kamala will become just another sacrificed pawn. If she survives, the bullet intended for Trump could make her the first Black and Asian-American woman at the helm of the U.S. Ironically, isn’t it? This is a country that, over nearly two and a half centuries of democracy, has elected one African-American president but has never had a female president.
LINCOLN, GARFIELD, MCKINLEY, KENNEDY
During their presidencies, four U.S. leaders were assassinated. Abraham Lincoln (1865), is regarded as one of the most significant presidents, alongside George Washington. Then, James A. Garfield (1881) was shot at a railroad station in Washington, dying from complications 11 weeks later. William McKinley (1901) was shot while attending a fair in Buffalo and died eight days later from gangrene. John F. Kennedy (1963) was killed in Dallas shortly after the assassination. There have been at least ten assassination attempts on presidents—starting with the shooting at Andrew Jackson in 1835, through Theodore Roosevelt who continued his speech with a bullet in his body and survived, up to July 13 and the rally in Butler that Trump held.
Photo: fotocuts
Photo:
NATAŠA ŠARKIĆ PhD in Physical Anthropology
The project “New Face of Ćele Kula” has recently stirred quite a bit of public interest in Serbia, a country that often remains indifferent to archaeological discoveries and research. Why is that the case, and how can the relationship between the public and society as a whole be changed to better appreciate such attractions? We discussed this with Nataša Šarkić, PhD in Physical Anthropology, who is one of the members of the scientific team behind this project.
Serbia is Incredibly Rich in Cultural Heritage
The goal of our investigation is not just to focus on the central figures and leaders of the battle but to shed light on those whose names have been forgotten, whose faces have disappeared from memory, and who never had any portraits— the anonymous freedom fighters
excavations yield only one or two such findings. Some archaeological digs use social networks to post daily updates on their findings and the atmosphere at the sites, helping the wider public understand the process of searching and investigating rather than focusing solely on the discoveries. Naturally, there’s the problem of just highlighting positive aspects of reality on social media, leaving out aspects like fatigue, sunburn, lack of sleep, and extreme heat. However, it is still a good way to introduce interested parties to our field. Not all colleagues are comfortable with this representation for various reasons. Some don’t like to expose themselves or their work, while others worry it might attract looters with metal detectors. After all, our job is to be scientists, not promoters.
Roman aqueduct and tombs near the Assembly will be “relocated” or covered with sand. Belgrade holds a unique position at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, with a strategic point just above it. Whoever controls Belgrade controls transport and trade, making it an attractive location for many civilizations and cultures. As a result, the modern city of Belgrade, especially its centre—from Republic Square to Kalemegdan and the area of today’s Dorćol—is built above many ancient cities. This is why new construction often leads to the possible destruction of archaeological sites.
Archaeological discoveries
attract a great deal of public attention, and we witness numerous spectacular headlines whenever something is discovered. However, it seems that public enthusiasm quickly wanes afterwards. Are archaeological discoveries, so to speak, like annual plants, or do they continually provide us with new insights?
We must keep in mind that archaeological excavation is a very slow process. It might take years to find anything spectacular that can be presented publicly and draw significant attention. Many
The life of archaeological objects doesn’t end when excavation does. They go to museums and archaeological sites that might be transformed into visitor centres. But protecting an object is not enough; it also needs to be promoted to attract and maintain public interest.
While society is simultaneously excited by discovery, we often find that the site is buried or relocated as if no one cares about what was found anymore. There are many examples: the Stambol Gate at Republic Square is covered by paving slabs, and the
Unfortunately, in Serbia, we still don’t fully understand the potential of archaeology. For the current government and even previous ones, archaeology is seen as a significant expense. We fail to realise that archaeology can attract visitors and bring money to the budget.
Regrettably, Serbia lacks basic infrastructure, and many hospitals in the provinces are missing essential equipment like ambulances, X-ray machines, or mammographs. In such an environment, asking for the protection of cultural heritage, building more museums, or employing more archaeologists often seems like an unnecessary luxury. Consequently, despite public enthusiasm about discoveries, when it comes to preservation or strategies for
Bodyright on the EXIT Festival
Taking a closer look at the campaign aiming to protect personal privacy and bodily autonomy in the digital world
At the Matica Srpska Gallery in Novi Sad, a high-profile launch event for the “Your body is yours, both online and offline!” campaign took place. The initiative, a collaborative effort between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Serbia’s Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, aims to bolster safeguards for personal privacy and bodily autonomy in the digital realm. The campaign, initiated in November 2022, was unveiled to a distinguished audience of diplomats and supporters of UNFPA.
Snežana Mišić, Deputy Director of the Matica Srpska Gallery, welcomed the guests on behalf of the Gallery and expressed her gratitude for the opportunity for this cultural institution and promoter of progressive ideas to participate in the promotion of the bodyright campaign. The event was also opened by a speech from John Kennedy
THIS CAMPAIGN HAS HELPED PEOPLE IN SERBIA RECOGNIZE AND COMBAT ONLINE ABUSE, PROTECTING THEIR RIGHTS AND BODILY AUTONOMY ONLINE
Mosoti, Director of the United Nations Population Fund for Serbia:
“This campaign has helped people in Serbia recognize and combat online abuse, protecting their rights and bodily autonomy online. Continuing our efforts this year, I am happy that we’ve teamed up with the Exit Festival to reach and engage more youth in our joint mission to end online abuse”, stated John Kennedy Mosoti.
Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, who played an important role in the Bodyright campaign, addressed the crowd as well:
“Together we can build a digital world where everyone’s rights are respected, where diversity is celebrated and where empathy and kindness prevail. The Bodyright campaign reminds us that our voices matter, that our actions can make a difference”.
Many representatives of the diplomatic core were present at
this event, coming from various embassies, such as Algeria, Germany, Bulgaria, Tunisia and Belarus. After the exhibition tour at the Gallery of Matica Srpska, the program continued with a visit to the EXIT festival at the Petrovaradin Fortress.
To broaden its reach, the campaign extended its presence to the dynamic atmosphere of the EXIT Festival as well, providing attendees and official delegates with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the issue and actively contribute to the campaign’s visibility.
THE MESSAGE FROM NOVI SAD IS CLEAR: EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO BE SAFE ONLINE
The core objective of this endeavor is to illuminate the pervasive issue of gender-based violence in the digital sphere and its detrimental consequences, particularly among young people. By galvanizing decision-makers, technology industry leaders, and other relevant stakeholders, the campaign seeks to enhance both protective measures and support services for individuals of all ages who are victims of such harassment and abuse.
Violence against women and girls is happening more and more online. That’s why the Bodyright campaign in Serbia is so important. It wants to protect people’s bodies and privacy online. We need better rules to keep people safe online. The message from Novi Sad is clear: everyone has the right to be safe online. Your body is yours, whether you’re online or in real life.
At the beautiful Petrovaradin fortress, people could learn more about protection in the online world through the Bodyright campaign “Your body is yours, both online and in the real world!“. Attendees could take a picture or record a video of themselves in the “Vortex”, with the bodysticker “B” and save their important message forever. Throughout the evening, people were lining up to participate and raise awareness about a crucial problem of the digital space, spreading the word around and expanding on the importance of this issue.
From Global Adventures to Leading Fitpass
How does a Swedish girl with Serbian roots, a cosmopolitan soul, and a diverse career trajectory end up leading a pioneering fitness startup?
MARIJA PASULJEVIĆ
Country Director of Fitpass Serbia and Montenegro
Marija Pasuljević’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Born in Gothenburg, Marija has lived, studied, and worked in cities across three continents. Her professional path has taken her from the bustling advertising world of New York to managing global projects for prestigious FMCG companies, and now to the dynamic fitness and wellness industry in Serbia and Montenegro. As the first woman to lead Fitpass, Marija shares her insights on leadership, industry trends, and her vision for the future in an exclusive interview with Diplomacy & Commerce.
Marija, you’ve had an impressive career trajectory. Could you tell us about your journey and how it led you to become the Country Director of Fitpass Serbia and Montenegro?
My career path has truly been global, encompassing studies and work in six cities across three continents. I was born in Sweden, have Serbian roots, and possess a cosmopolitan soul and temperament. My journey began at 18 when I started studying across three continents. After graduating, I landed my first job in New York City at 21, working in advertising with prestigious brands. This was the start of a dynamic career that took me through roles in FMCG companies, managing global projects and being lucky to see the world at the same time. These experiences honed my strategic thinking and adaptability, setting the stage for my transition into the tech industry a few years back. Joining Fitpass, a pioneering startup acquired by UpGroup in 2019,
was a natural progression. As the first woman to lead Fitpass, I am committed to driving our growth and innovation in Serbia and now Montenegro. As Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
Fitpass is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. What are some of the key milestones and achievements you’re most proud of?
Reaching our 10th anniversary is a remarkable achievement. Fitpass started as a local startup and has grown into a key player in the fitness and wellness industry. Our acquisition by UpGroup in 2019 was a significant milestone, as UpGroup itself is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Over the past decade, we’ve expanded our network to thousands of fitness centres and wellness facilities and continuously enhanced our user experience. This fall, we’re excited to
FITPASS STARTED AS A LOCAL STARTUP AND HAS GROWN INTO A KEY PLAYER IN THE FITNESS AND WELLNESS
INDUSTRY
launch in Montenegro, marking a new chapter in our growth. Another highlight is the upcoming Fitpass Games on October 10th, designed to engage B2B companies in fitness challenges and promote a healthy lifestyle. Success is never by accident; it’s the result of dedication, passion, and hard work.
Can you share more about the Fitpass Games and what participants can expect?
The Fitpass Games are about celebrating fitness, teamwork, and community. Scheduled for October 10th, the event will feature various games and competitions where companies can compete against each other. It’s about fostering camaraderie and encouraging a healthy lifestyle. Activities are designed to engage all fitness levels, ensuring everyone can participate and have fun. We’ve also incorporated a donation aspect, with part of the proceeds going to local charities, aligning with our commitment to giving back to the community.
Your career has spanned several industries and countries. How have these experiences shaped your approach to leadership at Fitpass?
My diverse experiences have profoundly influenced my leadership style. Living and working in different countries has taught me the importance of cultural sensitivity and adaptability. From the fastpaced advertising world in New York to managing global projects in the FMCG sector, I’ve learned the value of strategic thinking and resilience. At Fitpass, I strive to create a culture that values innovation, teamwork, and continuous learning. I believe in empowering my team to take ownership of their projects and encouraging them to think outside the box. My background has also made me a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, ensuring that Fitpass is a welcoming environment for everyone. As Coco Chanel famously said, “You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.” Similarly, I believe in cultivating a work environment where everyone can shine and feel valued.
Fitpass is expanding into Montenegro this fall. What are your goals for this new market?
Expanding into Montenegro is a significant step for Fitpass. Our primary goal is to replicate the success we’ve had in other markets by providing exceptional fitness and wellness services. We aim to build a robust network of partners, including gyms, fitness centres, and team sports, to offer a wide range of options for our users. Our focus will be on delivering a seamless user experience through our app and ensuring that our services meet the needs and
MY GLOBAL EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME THAT THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LEARN FROM OTHERS
preferences of the Montenegrin market. Ultimately, we want to inspire more people to lead active and healthy lifestyles. We are also committed to building strong relationships with local communities and stakeholders, ensuring that our expansion is both sustainable and beneficial for everyone involved.
The fitness industry has seen significant changes in recent years. What trends do you think will shape the future of fitness and wellness?
The fitness industry is evolving rapidly, driven by advancements in technology, changing consumer preferences, and a greater emphasis on overall wellness. One major trend is the integration of digital and physical fitness experiences. Hybrid models that combine in-person workouts with
encountered. It’s about having a global mindset while understanding and respecting local nuances. This perspective allows me to bring innovative ideas and practices from around the world to Fitpass. It also helps in building strong relationships with partners and stakeholders across different markets. My global experience has taught me that there is always something to learn from others, and I continuously strive to apply these lessons to drive Fitpass forward. As I often say, “You can learn something new every day.”
As a female leader in a dynamic industry, what advice would you give to other women aspiring to leadership roles?
My advice to women aspiring to leadership roles is to embrace challenges and never shy away from opportunities that push you out of your comfort zone. Be confident in your abilities and don’t be afraid to take risks. It’s also essential to build a strong support network, both personally and professionally. Mentorship and continuous learning are crucial; always seek knowledge and be open to new experiences. Lastly, stay true to yourself and your values. Authenticity and integrity are key to successful and fulfilling leadership. As Coco Chanel said, “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
When we last spoke, you mentioned you like to “land on your feet.” How has this philosophy influenced your professional and personal growth?
digital platforms are becoming increasingly popular. Wearable technology and fitness apps are also playing a significant role in personalizing fitness journeys and providing real-time feedback. Additionally, there’s a growing focus on holistic wellness, encompassing not just physical fitness but also mental health, nutrition, and recovery. People are looking for comprehensive solutions that address all aspects of their wellbeing. At Fitpass, we are continuously innovating to stay ahead of these trends and provide our users with the best possible experience.
You’ve often been described as a cosmopolitan leader. How does this global perspective influence your work?
Being a cosmopolitan leader means embracing the best of all cultures and experiences I’ve
This philosophy has been a guiding principle throughout my journey, both professionally and personally. It’s about resilience and being prepared to make the most of the opportunities that come my way. In my career, it has helped me adapt to various roles and industries, always ready to tackle new challenges and learn from each experience. Personally, it’s kept me grounded and open to embracing life’s surprises. Looking ahead, my goal is to continue fostering growth for Fitpass in Serbia, successfully launch in Montenegro, and lay a solid foundation for the next decade. On a personal level, I aim to pursue passions that bring me joy and fulfilment, ensuring that each day starts with a smile. As I like to say, “You never know where you will land, but I do like to land on my feet.”
The List: People who are changing Belgrade
Belgrade — a city brimming with soul, where each street and person weaves their own tale. Over the years, Belgraders have crafted its look, architecture, cuisine, and traditions. But making a signifi cant impact requires a special kind of person, someone who stands out and captures attention. In a monthly feature by Duška Jovanić, we’ll highlight some of the men and women who have made a lasting impression on Belgrade.
Note: The List is in alphabetical
ANICA DOBRA
Dorćol’s Princess
Don’t take this noble title literally when it comes to Anica Dobra. Our forever “little blonde,” the Beba Lončar of our times, usually rocks a sporty black cap instead of a boring tiara. She cruises through the city like she’s still filming “Black Bomber,” even in one of Dragana Ognjenović’s timeless dresses, which are her uniform for both global and local fame. It’s no exaggeration to call this tireless diva the official license holder for being carefree. Whether the camera is off or the audience has left, the ease with which she finds a smile in every situation makes her the eternal cover girl of the happiness handbook. And when you seriously ask her if that joy is
NENAD NOVAK STEFANOVIĆ
Guardian of Belgrade’s Better Past
His Belgrade resembles a cake with layers of colourful fillings. Each colour represents an era, stacking one on top of the other, starting from the oldest. By chance, or perhaps not, he lived as a child in Karaburma, at 62 Patrice Lumumba Street. On the site of that building once stood a Celtic settlement, the core before Roman Belgrade. Nenad, now a publicist and writer, says he’s always been followed by these colourful layers of Belgrade. Maybe that’s why the majority of his research is tied to famous families and houses that still exist and are part of the city’s heritage. He dives with great pleasure into family photographs, intrigues, and incredible, often scandalous details of people’s fates, which is why “old Belgraders” are often suspicious. It happened once that a lady in a house on Njegoševa Street told him: “You know, Branislav Nušić was our godfather. Only, my grandmother warned me never to let a writer into the house!” When he curiously asked
in the creation or the result, she shoots back without hesitation: “The joy is within us.” Though she doesn’t love it, she’s the best at being photographed. Thanks to her, Belgrade feels like a world city and local cinema has moved beyond outdated Hollywood imitations with its flashy red carpets and glittery gear. This little devil, an actress with a rogue attitude, has tried to show that one day, everything will be okay here. Meanwhile, everyone seems to wonder if Anica Dobra will ever really grow up or if, despite officially being a grandma, she’ll remain the elusive beauty of Belgrade’s streets, walking only through great movies and living forever in the audience’s memory.
why, she admitted, shaking her head: “My grandmother Kaja was a minister; Nušić just changed her name to Živka.” Although he sees himself only as a chronicler and not an activist, Nenad Novak Stefanović fought fiercely to preserve a piece of the Roman aqueduct discovered near the National Assembly building. “That Belgrade, its architecture and spirit, is systematically destroyed by greedy investor urbanism. Profit is the god they worship. Though they try to uglify it, it defends itself with dignity and persistence.” When asked what he has changed concretely, besides cherishing precious memories of the city’s better past, he answers with an anecdote. “Oh, I’m going to kill you,” my school friend recently met me and seriously scared me. “What’s the matter now?” I flinched. “Because of you, I’m going to twist my neck and break myself to pieces. I used to walk normally down the street like any fine lady minding her own business, but ever since I read your books, I keep stopping and looking up!”
My Belgrade today is found in the escapist possibilities of a bubble. Instead of broad communication with this society, perhaps for the first time, I’ve opted for a micro version of the world, consisting solely of my interests. Books, movies, my dog, conversations with select people. How much of Belgrade can fit into that? For now, it’s a cross-section of a few streets in Dorćol where I feel somewhat connected with the people, the atmosphere, and the rhythm of life. Maybe it has to do with being in my forties; I’m getting back the Belgrade from the days of naivety and discovery. All the events I remember and consider key to what we call experience are very precisely located. There are the wide boulevards of New Belgrade, most beautiful in the dusty nights of late summer, the melancholy of Topličin Venac, the slippery and steep winters of Dorćol. Belgrade is a city that allows you to create it yourself, through what it was and what it is today. With its imperfections, it is made so that through your interactions with it, you can write
VERICA RAKOČEVIĆ
Fearless Woman
Certain things happen to certain people; nothing happens to undefined ones”—a sentence once spoken by the most beautiful and smartest Belgrader, a sentiment in which Verica Rakočević found herself. I haven’t touched on her profession right away because, although it has made her famous, she is known for so much more. She is an unusual and fearless woman, breaking well-established prejudices with every move she makes. Perhaps the anthology column by the great Aleksandar Tijanić, with the striking title “VR - the mystery of a woman,” written while he watched her fashion show from the front row—close enough but still too far to uncover everything that needed to be revealed—best explains her still undiscovered secret. Although it seems she serves us a personal enigma on a silver platter every day, that’s just her nature. The idea man, Dragan Sakan, would acknowledge her as a marketing master. Somehow, she made herself into a marvel. Born in Podujevo, she lived briefly on the outskirts of Belgrade as a girl and later en-
your sentimental history. No matter how much it changes and what it turns into, you will find a place where Belgrade—the real Belgrade—exists.” Reading this literary homage to the city where he grew up in every sense, you might not immediately recognize Milan Nikolić as a taboo master. Yet he is, not just by profession, since “Tabu” is the name of the unusual show he edits and masterfully hosts on “Insajder” TV. His CV already includes a lot: philologist, journalist, and editor of the magazines Kuća Stil, Esquire, Playboy, author of numerous polemical texts and social media posts, and above all, an activist and fighter against all taboos, fear, violence, and the discomfort faced by the LGBTQ population. “If I’ve provided anything to Belgrade, it’s to remind it that it’s at its best when it’s free. When it doesn’t let stereotypes and clichés kill what makes it great. That’s why I chase away the darkness of paranoia into which people, especially when facing the unknown and foreign, can wander. I fight for knowledge to overcome dogma and for open-mindedness to defeat pettiness.” Go on, Milan.
SMILJANA POPOV Belgrader for Beginners
With each episode of her educational show “Belgrade for Beginners,” she shares lessons about her beloved city in a sly yet charming way, embracing all its imperfections. Acting somewhat like a good teacher, the words of Duško Radović, the true civic conscience of this city, echo in her mind. “Belgraders, like Hansel and Gretel, leave traces behind to find their way back home. Every fifty meters, a trace. If you know what they smoke and what ailments they suffer from, you could easily find them.” At first glance, it seems that Smiljana, like the legendary Duško, catches her fellow citizens red-handed in their daily civic misdemeanours against Belgrade. But she loves the city too much to condemn us. She just wants everyone to behave according to one of the best Belgrade graffiti: “Act like you live here.” Then everything would be much better for all of us. Moreover, her show is the best
proof that Belgrade still has so much to tell us. Because, as the poet said, “This city once cast its lights far, this city could do better.” Even though she, like many of us, doesn’t like what it has become, she has no intention of giving up on it. And yes, she’s hopelessly in love with it but still believes in a happy ending for this heartfelt blockbuster. She doesn’t hide that she’s invested a lot in this love story. She did everything in her power to finally get a corner in Dorćol named after the famous Šonda family, who brought Belgrade its first chocolate factory and cinema. And perhaps, thanks to the enterprising Smiljana Popov, Belgrade has become at least a bit more “bicycle-friendly” and thus a bit happier. “The series ‘Belgrade for Beginners’ is itself a small but significant change: the first TV show to enter the education system as an additional teaching tool. I’m satisfied if I’ve contributed even a little to getting to know Belgrade so that we can love it even more.”
rolled in the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation after finishing high school. When she opened her first boutique “Ella,” it was clear that it was just the beginning of the story of a brand that would conquer not only Yugoslavia but the world. She became the first fashion designer whose shows were prestigious events where Belgraders wanted to be seen. And where was her Belgrade? For her, it remained in place, but she now remembers it with romantic nostalgia because it wants to be trendy today, and that’s not her style. Privately, Verica is a woman of volcanic energy, changing the traditional view of the world. “In my search for freedom, which I conquered with the strength of my character, I gave women hope that the power is in their hands. The power to change themselves and the consciousness of the city they live in.” Because of Verica Rakočević, the label “made in Belgrade” is viewed with respect. And the fact that she married for the third time to a composer thirty-five years younger than her, she doesn’t see bravery but a regular life choice for a dragon lady.
Photo: Maša Raca
Photo:
Photo:
Re-visiting Last Year’s Champions of Taste
Meeting with the Taste Awards 2023 laureates & preparing for the new competition
Representatives of the Taste Awards court led by the president of Color Press Group, Robert Čoban & Metro Srbija, the media, members of the jury and other laureates have conducted monthly visits to the Taste Awards 2023 winners every month since the awarding ceremony, thus giving special importance to the event itself.
The Food Talk Taste Awards in 2023 was an event to remember, bringing together the finest restaurants, wine houses, chefs and food lovers for a competition that rewards quality, innovation and consistency. The Taste Awards event aims to recognize and show appreciation for those performing at the highest levels, providing the customer with top-quality experiences and products.
“An important part of the award is the follow-up meetings with the laureates as hosts. It has been shown that it is important for people not to reduce the whole idea to just the prize. You should also visit the laureates. It is a great thing to gather people from different spheres who will show respect and attention to the product, person or object that received the award. We saw that all of them, from Leposavić in Kosovo to Smedervska Palanka, whom we have visited so far, see it as important”, said Robert Čoban.
THIS AWARD CAME TO BE WITH THE FOOD TALK CONFERENCES, THE FIRST OF WHICH WAS ORGANIZED BY THE COLOR PRESS GROUP IN 2013 AT SALAŠ 137 IN ČENEJ, WHEN THE PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED, OLIVER MLAKAR, STEVA KARAPANDŽA, ĐORĐE BALAŠEVIĆ
Homa Beograd
Lakićević Winery
Robert Čoban explained that the beginnings of this award came to be with the Food Talk conferences, the first of which was organized by the Color Press group in 2013 at Salaš 137 in Čenej, when the participants included, among others, Oliver Mlakar, Steva Karapandža, Đorđe Balašević. It was the flywheel of a series of events that focused on the topic of food, wine, beer and the gathering of people from the region.
During the months after the awarding ceremony, there have been held five Metro Taste Awards 2024 meetings. In April, the first meeting was held in Smederevska Palanka, at the Winery Despotika, which won the last year’s award for the “Best rosé wine” for “Nemir 2022“. The second visit, in May, was done in Belgrade, at the premises of the “Homa” restaurant, which won last year’s award in the category “Best restaurant” (Fine dining). The next meeting was held at the beautiful venues of the Restaurant “La Pista” & Hotel “Gorski” at Kopaonik. The “La Pista” restaurant has won the award for the “Best Restaurant in the category of Italian cuisine”, while the Executive Pastry Chef from the Hotel “Gorski”, Dejan Veljin, won the award for the “Best Pastry Chef”. Another visit took place in June as well, at the Lakićević Winery, located in Leposavić, Kosovo i Metohija. This winery was the proud winner of the „Best Red Wine category“, for the “Merula 2019“. The most recent, fifth meeting, was held at the Wine House Kovačević in Irig, the winner of the award for the „Best Restaurant in the category of Serbian national cuisine“.
ON OCTOBER 18TH, AT THE “FOOD TALK 2024” CONFERENCE, A PROMOTION FOR THIS YEAR’S TASTE AWARDS WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE DORĆOL PLATZ VENUE IN BELGRADE
In September, a cooking class will be hosted at the METRO HoReCa Center where the jury will try their hand at preparing food. In October, the last visit will take place at the Beer Museum in Čelarevo, and in the same month, at the “Food Talk 2024” conference, there will be a large promotion for the Taste Awards 2024.
Registration for the new round & award holders for this year is from September 25 to November 15 at the email address: taste_awards@communications.rs, and the award ceremony will follow in December.
La Pista
Despotika Smederevska Palanka
Despotika Smederevska Palanka
Vinska kuća Kovačević
Vinska kuća Kovačević
2024
11 JULY 2024
Mercure Belgrade Excelsior Celebrates
100 Years Since Its Historic Opening
The Mercure Belgrade Excelsior proudly celebrates 100 years since its historic opening, marking a century of rich history and excellence in hospitality. Since opening its doors on March 15th, 1924, the hotel has been a prominent fixture in the heart of Serbia’s vibrant capital, offering a blend of historical charm and modern comfort.
Originally intended to function as a clinic, the neoclassical building, designed by Viennese architects, was repurposed into a hotel during construction, opening its doors as Hotel Excelsior in 1924. For over 90 years, it operated under this name before becoming part of the Accor network in 2017 and rebranding as Mercure Belgrade Excelsior – the first Accor hotel in Belgrade inspired by Serbian culture. This transition heralded a new era for the hotel, combining the strengths of an international network with a deep commitment to quality and a warm, community-rooted experience.
On World Population Day UNFPA emphasizes demystifying demographic changes
in Eastern Europe
On World Population Day, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia emphasizes the need to respond to demographic changes facing countries in this region based on evidence and in accordance with human rights principles.
The way demographic changes are discussed in this region is still often marked by misconceptions and anxiety,” says Florence Bauer, UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
“The demographic changes this region is facing are real, and their effects require an urgent response,” Ms. Bauer stated, adding that there is no reason for panic as there is much that governments can do to mitigate negative consequences and fully capitalize on the opportunities that also come with demographic changes.
Across Eastern and Southeastern Europe, birth rates are low, generally ranging between 1.3 and 1.8 children per woman. At the same time, millions of people have left this region in search of better opportunities elsewhere. Combined, these trends have accelerated population aging and led to a decrease in the number of inhabitants in the region. Most countries
that have fewer inhabitants today than in 1990 are located in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. In some of these countries, the population has decreased by 30 percent or more during the mentioned period.
While much of the discussion in the region focuses on increasing birth rates, the UN Population Fund warns that this can jeopardize women’s rights, ignoring the underlying factors that hinder family formation and drive external migration. Some of these factors include insufficient quality of education, housing issues, unstable jobs, political instability, corruption, and the like.
“This is why emphasizing birth rates can be counterproductive and potentially harmful,” says Ms. Bauer, highlighting that this risks diverting attention from real solutions to demographic challenges and undoing decades of progress in gender equality, reproductive rights, and women’s empowerment, with potentially far-reaching negative consequences for the stability and development of the state.
Although demographic data is important, countries can be successful even when birth rates are low. However, this requires sustainable investments in human capital and the removal of numerous obstacles that women and
Located directly opposite the Parliament Building and surrounded by lush parks, Mercure Belgrade Excelsior provides an ideal base for exploring both historical and contemporary Belgrade. The hotel boasts 73 wellappointed rooms, a restaurant, and a conference room, catering to both leisure and business travelers.
During its long history, the hotel has hosted numerous notable guests, including Nobel Prize-winning novelist Ivo Andrić, philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, and entertainer Josephine Baker.
other marginalized groups still face in their desire to fully participate in the economy and public life.
UNFPA collaborates with governments in all countries of this region to enhance capacities for a comprehensive response to demographic changes, based on evidence and in accordance with human rights and gender equality principles. The demographic resilience program is based on four pillars: policy measures, human capital, systemic reforms, and public support. World Population Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness of demographic issues and has been observed since 1990.
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the UN agency for sexual and reproductive health, with a mission to create a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
Photo:
Mudra Art Cuisine
Where Culinary Becomes Art
GUILLAUME ISKANDAR
Chef
Located right on the coast of the Bay of Kotor, the Huma Kotor Bay Hotel offers a perfect blend of elegance, comfort, and natural beauty. This luxurious hotel, surrounded by spectacular mountain landscapes, provides an unforgettable experience for all lovers of premium ambiance and top-notch service. The diverse gastronomic offerings are an essential part of the experience at Huma, especially when it comes to the fine dining restaurant, Mudra Art Cuisine. Mudra Art Cuisine, a renowned restaurant in the Bay of Kotor, has begun a collaboration this summer with the acclaimed French chef Guillaume Iskandar. With rich international experience gained in Michelin-starred restaurants across France, Chef Guillaume brings a wealth of culinary knowledge and passion to preparing fine dining dishes that will fascinate you. At Mudra Art Cuisine, each dish represents a fusion of tradition and innovation, as Chef Iskandar masterfully blends the
How would you describe the concept of Mudra Art Cuisine and what makes it unique?
Mudra Art Cuisine is a place where we blend art and cuisine. Our goal is to create a culinary experience that engages all the senses. Each plate is carefully designed, using local and seasonal ingredients, and presented as a work of art.
How important are local ingredients in your culinary approach and how have you incorporated them into your menu?
Local ingredients are at the core of my culinary approach. I believe that the quality of the ingredients is crucial for creating top-notch dishes. In collaboration with local producers and fishermen, we select the finest products that Kotor and the surrounding areas have to offer. This way, we not only provide an authentic experience for our guests but also support the local community.
How would you describe the energy and atmosphere of the Mudra Art Cuisine restaurant?
Mudra Art Cuisine has a special, relaxing, and inspiring energy. Our seaside location allows guests to enjoy beautiful views while tasting our dishes. We strive to ensure that every detail, from the decor to the
music, contributes to creating an unforgettable experience.
What are your plans for the future at Mudra Art Cuisine?
Guillaume Iskandar: The plan is to continue enhancing our menu and organizing culinary events and workshops to provide our guests with an unforgettable gastronomic experience. How do you handle the challenges of working in a restaurant that is part of a five-star hotel?
Guillaume Iskandar: Working in a luxurious environment brings its challenges but also great opportunities. The key is to maintain a high standard in every aspect of our work, from service to the quality of the dishes. Fortunately, I have a great team that shares my passion and dedication, making every challenge easier to overcome.
What would you say to young chefs who want to achieve success in the culinary world?
Never stop learning and exploring. Be dedicated, patient, and ready for hard work. Most importantly, love what you do, because only then can you create something truly special. Huma Kotor Bay Hotel & Villas is the perfect choice for anyone looking to combine luxurious relaxation with exploring one of the most beautiful destinations on the Adriatic.
elegance of French cuisine with the richness of local and organic ingredients. His vision introduces a new dimension to the culinary scene in Montenegro, offering a unique experience that will enchant all fine dining enthusiasts.
Can you tell us about your culinary journey and how you achieved a Michelin star?
My culinary journey began in France, where I studied and worked in several prestigious restaurants. After a few years of hard work with some of the best chefs in the world, I was awarded a Michelin star. This was a validation of my work and an incentive to continue improving my culinary skills and exploring new techniques and ingredients.
What inspired you to join Mudra Art Cuisine in Kotor?
Mudra Art Cuisine gave me a unique opportunity to work in a beautiful setting, right by the sea, with incredible views and special energy. Additionally, Montenegro is rich in local ingredients that I wanted to explore and incorporate into my menu.
WITH FANTASTIC WINE, DELICIOUS FOOD, AND RELAXING MUSIC, A SUMMER NIGHT AT MUDRA ART CUISINE BECOMES AN UNFORGETTABLE GASTRONOMIC JOURNEY IN THE HEART OF THE BAY OF KOTOR.
22 JULY 2024
“Sustainable Fashion” and High Glamor at the Final Evening of IFF Porto Montenegro 2024
The sixth International Fashion Festival (IFF) Porto Montenegro 2024 ended spectacularly last night, bringing glamour but also important messages about sustainable fashion
Tiziano Guardini from Rome brought to Montenegro with love his message interwoven with life and beauty. This evolutionary innovator, known for his deeply conscious approach to fashion, which he calls ECO fashion, emphasized the importance of interconnectedness and harmony. “On this occasion, I would like to say that we all share this planet and are part of a delicate balance. We are connected and we feel it. We can design, create and then create in harmony. It is the most beautiful journey, because it is an opportunity to reconnect with what we really are. My wish is that everyone in the world has the opportunity and opportunity to be part of fashion that correlates with lifestyle,” said Guardini. He added that he believes “that as creative people we have the opportunity and duty to create new designs, new clothes, new ways to transform our ideas into ideas that will serve everyone and be part of the circular economy”. His message was conveyed by the fantastic ballerinas of the “Princess Xenia” ballet school, who wore his creations.
Montenegrin representative Boris Ćalić delighted the audience with his first collection on sustainable fashion. “The ‘Cicada’ collection was created in collaboration with the L’Occitane brand. I was inspired by the plants used by this brand, as well as by the earth as the basis from which everything is created
and born, so the color of the collection included earthy tones in combination with yellow, ochre, purple and olive. Every seam, fabric and detail is thoroughly worked out in order to achieve a sense of unobtrusive elegance. The clothes I create reflect the idea that less can be more,” said Ćalić.
5 AUGUST 2024
Shaping Social Change Through Art
Starting from the 30th of July, until the 31st of August, the exhibition „The sun does not choose whom it warms“ will be open to visit at the premises of the Museum under the open sky, “Old village”, in Sirogojno
Born in Belgrade in 1974, Jelena Blečić is one of the prominent figures of the contemporary art scene, a visual artist whose works deeply resonate with the themes of individuality, culture and the flexibility of harmony. Her career spans over 25 years of work, during which she has held over 20 solo exhibitions around the world, including France, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Denmark and Mexico. Her teaching engagements include the position of vice dean for marketing at the Faculty of Contemporary Arts, where she transferred her rich experience to the education of a new generation of artists.
She is the founder and art director of the design project Fun Fan. She also worked on numerous projects, campaigns and fashion shows in cooperation with big brands and companies such as Mercedes, Premiata, Cortefiel, Epson, British American Tobacco, Microsoft, she also worked for Avon, PharmaSwiss, Laguna, Adria mediu, Atika mediu as and creative campaigns with international magazines Casa viva, Cosmopolitan, Grazia, Elle.
Her work is characterized by a combination of planetary aesthetics and local authenticity, which makes her recognizable on the art scene. This exhibition also explores themes of social engagement and personal and social philosophical approaches, encouraging dialogue about the role of art in shaping social change and ethical attitudes.
UNICREDIT SETS THE BENCHMARKS FOR EUROPEAN BANKING
UGroup's record results for the second quarter and fi rst half of 2024
niCredit Group has once again demonstrated its strength in the second quarter with an excellent set of financial results, proof of the significant progress that the bank has made thus far in its transformation journey, with significant value still to unlock. UniCredit Group recorded the 14th consecutive quarter of quality profitable growth as well as record results for the first half of this year, with a net profit of 2.7 billion euros in the second quarter, which is an increase of 16% compared to the same period of the previous year. In the second quarter, the Group recorded a growth in net income of 6% compared to the previous year, amounting to 6.3 billion euros, followed by a growth in net interest income (NII) of 2% to 3.6 billion euros and a very strong growth in fees of 10 % to 2.1 billion euros.
Andrea Orcel, CEO of UniCredit said: “The achieved records are the result of continuous transformation and focus on sustainable quality and profitable growth, while encouraging operational and capital excellence and long-term investment. The financial results, together with the potential we need to unlock, represent a strong basis for realizing our future ambitions. UniCredit is setting new benchmarks in European banking, and we are on a clear strategic path that will enable us to grow sustainably and consistently, empowering our employees, clients and the communities in which we operate.“
IN JUNE 2024, THE BANK LAUNCHED „UNICREDIT FOR
CEE“, A NEW INITIATIVE THAT PROVIDES CONCRETE FINANCIAL AND ADVISORY SOLUTIONS THROUGHOUT CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
In June 2024, the bank launched „UniCredit for CEE“ (Serbia is included through the „UniCredit for Serbia“ platform), a new initiative that provides concrete financial and advisory solutions throughout Central and Eastern Eu-
ABOUT UNICREDIT BANK
UniCredit is a pan-European Commercial Bank with a unique service offering in Italy, Germany, and Central and Eastern Europe. Our purpose is to empower communities to progress, delivering the best-in-class for all stakeholders, and unlocking the potential of our clients and our people across Europe.
We serve over 15 million customers worldwide. They are at the heart of what we do in all our markets. UniCredit is organized in four core
rope with the aim of helping micro and small businesses, including organizations from the tertiary sector, to grow and to face the problems related to the green transition. The initiative includes 60 financial solutions, worth over 2.6 billion euros, during 2024.
UniCredit continues to make significant progress in its ESG ambitions. The launch of the „Skills for Transition“ initiative was recently announced - which is fully financed by the bank, and which is dedicated to promoting a just and fair transition, as well as consistent support for education - a key driver of the European future. The initiative includes six UniCredit Group countries with the aim of providing strategic training to young people and companies expected to be influenced by the green transition.
regions and three product factories, Corporate, Individual and Group Payments Solutions. This allows us to be close to our clients and use the scale of the entire Group for developing and offering the best products across all our markets.
Digitalization and our commitment to ESG principles are key enablers for our service. They help us deliver excellence to our stakeholders and create a sustainable future for our clients, our communities, and our people.
Translator with a mission
Arpad Vicko (1950-2024) was a translator with a mission. He believed, and demonstrated in every translation, that the role of a translator is to act as a mediator between two cultures, between two languages, and between the writer and the reader.
This mediator must be sensitive, catching with one sense the intentions of the writer, both those explicitly stated and those hidden in the text and with another sense anticipating the reader’s questions and challenges.
Arpad Vicko had everything a translator needs. First, is linguistic competence. He was bilingual and at home in both cultures and both languages. Then, an excellent knowledge of the literature he translated. He knew the classics of Hungarian literature, contemporary Hungarian writers, and the latest literary voices, about whom the uncertain field of contemporary literature would decide, sometimes without much justice, whether they would or would not be the writers upon whom the future of literature would be built.
But Arpad Vicko had something else without which there is no significant translator: a true passion for translation that led him from book to book, from writer to writer. This passion brought a sense of mission to his translation work, to present the peaks of modern
Hungarian literature in the Serbian literary and cultural space.
Without his translation work, our knowledge of modern Hungarian literature would be incomparably poorer. For over half a century, Arpad Vicko translated an entire library of Hungarian literature into Serbian. In doing so, he became an indispensable figure in Hungarian-Serbian literary and cultural relations.
Even more important was Arpad Vicko’s choice of translations. As a translator with a mission, he carefully chose the writers he would engage with and the books he would translate. He more often proposed books and advocated values than accepted commissions. He accepted commissions only if they fit into his value system. Such a connoisseur of literature was precious, and his dedication to translation had long been recognized by the cultural and reading public.
One only needs to look at the authors he translated to see his translation choices and cultural self-awareness. Arpad Vicko translated the books of György Konrád, Péter Esterházy, István
Örkény, Imre Kertész, Antal Szerb, György Petri, István Eörsi, Sándor Márai, László Darvasi, Gábor Schein, Ottó Tolnai, László Végel, Tibor Várady... He translated all literary genres and also books in the humanities.
Arpad Vicko was a translator, friend, and interlocutor of the best contemporary Hungarian writers. Dedicated to translating their books, he also endeavoured to make them present in Serbian culture. I will never forget the meetings and conversations with György Konrád in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Budva, and Subotica, in which Arpad always mediated quietly, unobtrusively, and elegantly. Or Péter Esterházy’s appearance at the first Belgrade Festival of European Literature in 2012.
He published a book of interviews with leading contemporary Hungarian intellectuals titled “The Genre of the Moment.” He prepared two important selections of Hungarian literature. One is an anthology of poetry by Vojvodina Hungarians, “January Amber.” The other is a panorama of contemporary Hungarian prose, “Monsters, Elves, Devils, Demons.”
ARPAD VICKO (1950-2024)
I met Arpad Vicko more than thirty years ago, and even before that, I knew him through his translations. I later collaborated with him at Stubovi Kulture, and then from the founding of Arhipelag. In the Serbian PEN Center, Arpad was a member of the Board of Directors and an indispensable collaborator for over a decade.
“Not only European culture but probably Europe itself would not exist without translators. I have already called literary translators the Proto-Europeans. Europe—as a network of minds—exists through translators. Sometimes a translator has expressed more elegantly what the author has said somewhat clumsily; the translator has smuggled a gold coin into his pocket,” wrote György Konrád in the essay “In Praise of Translators” in the book “Report on the State of the Spirit.”
Arpad Vicko would regularly smuggle a gold coin into the pockets of the writers he translated.
The author is a writer and the editor-in-chiefofthepublishing house Arhipelag
LOVE FEST
8–10 AUGUST
Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia
Lovefest is a unique cultural platform from Vrnjačka Banja, which aims to promote electronic music, art and urban youth culture. Lovefest activities are focused on activities that contribute to the development of equality, solidarity and tolerance among people, emphasising humanitarian, social, environmental, educational and entertainment projects. Lovefest, the best regional festival for 2018, was created more than a decade ago, more precisely in 2007, as a form of the desire of young enthusiasts from Vrnjačka Banja that their city also has musical events similar to the great world metropolises. The festival began as a one-day musical event on the now-famous Spa Bridge of Love, hence the name of the event. Lovefest has so far been visited by more than half a million visitors, and over 3,000 performers from all over the world have performed on 5 music stages. For both guests and performers, coming to Serbia and Vrnjačka Banja for Lovefest was the first visit to our country.
FILM SCREENPLAY FESTIVAL
13–17 AUGUST
Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia
OINTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL „NIŠVILLE“
15–18 AUGUST
Niš, Serbia
The most visited jazz festival in Southeast Europe, since its foundation in 1995, consistently defends the European values of multiculturalism and patiently nurtures the refined musical taste of individuals. From the beginning, the concept of the festival, apart from the more “traditional” forms of jazz, was
ne of the most important segments of the Vrnjačka Banja cultural festivities is the Film Screenplay Festival, which for more than 40 years of its existence, remaining true to its original idea, was a worthy diagnostician of virtues and flaws and an indispensable chronicler in the wide area of screenwriting. Until today, about 500 films were shown in the competition, along with many short, documentary, animated and video films in the accompanying program. Since its foundation until today, symposia have been held mainly dedicated to screenwriting problems, which have a far-reaching significance not only for the exhibition in Vrnjačka Banja but also for the entire domestic cinematography. The number of participants in the symposium exceeds 1000, and there are over 4500 pages of transcripts of their presentations in the Festival’s archive.
primarily based on the fusion of this direction with the ethnic traditions of different parts of the world, especially the Balkans. The main program of the festival is held in the open area of the plateau of the Niš fortress, on two stages - Earth&Sky stage and many high-quality domestic and foreign performers perform on numerous stages that are free for the audience: River, Open, Air, Hip Hop, Midnight Jazzdance, Movie, Jazz For Kids, Youth, Jazz Museum stage and others.
Camilla George is a visionary saxophonist, composer, bandleader and innovator. Her strong cultural roots and love of fusing African and Western Music has informed her own unique style, a key reason why she is a firm fixture on the new London Jazz scene, alongside peers such as Nubya...
