• 小莱卡@lemmygrad.ml
    ·
    2 months ago

    Serbia respects the BRICS, Vucic said, but will stay on the European track to “annoy” them.

    “We continue to anger them because our choice is the European path, even though we don’t know when Serbia might become an EU member”, said Vučić.

    Saying that while simultaneously hosting China tells me they are playing both sides, which is good for them honestly. Hope they can reach an agreement with BRICS, that would be great for serbian people.

    • 小莱卡@lemmygrad.ml
      ·
      2 months ago

      It will be tough considering the biggest US military base in the region is pretending to be a country next to Serbia.

    • HalidBeslic [he/him]
      ·
      2 months ago

      Not happening, Serbia's govt is a bunch of opportunists, but they're a bunch of dumb opportunist. They have no idea when to jump ship and the opposition consists of a dozen pro EU parties along with a monarchist and kinda eurosceptic one with a 5% support.

      • 小莱卡@lemmygrad.ml
        ·
        2 months ago

        Well Vucic statements here at least confirm he is not a complete EU bootlicker, like many others are. At least it seems he is willing to play both sides, which is good for a periphery country.

        But then again it's a liberal democracy and an EU bootlicker can reverse whatever they do any time, so meh.

        • HalidBeslic [he/him]
          ·
          2 months ago

          His anti-EU statements are only statements and there's not a lot of bite behind the bark, ultimately. The only times he does something that isn't 100% neolib bs is when it goes against public opinion in Serbia so much that it would be political suicide to do the opposite. One thing you have to understand is that the public here is massively against western imperialism (particularly NATO) and he is an EU client. So he has to do this balancing act, where he is forced to make moves that aren't totally awful is because of that. In return he gets to rule the country like a Batista, Somosa, Noriega etc. and not be considered a dictator by the "freedom-loving" EU.

          Thanks to being a little dictator, our foreign policy also deeply depends on him, and he has not proven to be a negotiator in any capacity, being fully humiliated by the US, EU and Kosovo. The Serbian Progressive Party also can not offer any other cadre to replace him in that role because it's a bunch of the dumbest, most servile clowns gathered around him. Thanks to those two reasons there is no hope for Serbia to escape the EU's grip in the near future.

                • HalidBeslic [he/him]
                  ·
                  2 months ago

                  Ugh, my condolences to the people of China who had to watch this clown. Although it's interesting to see that he has the same weaselly melodramatic tone when speaking to foreign audiences as well.

                    • HalidBeslic [he/him]
                      ·
                      2 months ago

                      Hahaha yes they are, people opposing the government here often make fun of them.

                      • 小莱卡@lemmygrad.ml
                        ·
                        edit-2
                        2 months ago

                        Chinese investors revived serbian steel industry that was plundered by US investors post-yugoslavia, very interesting article: https://www.obserwatorfinansowy.pl/in-english/business/incredible-rise-of-serbian-steel-industry/

                        Also ben norton covers it during this video: https://yewtu.be/watch?v=MILgSmiBLA8

                        This may be a huge reason as to why Vucic is, apparently, friendly towards China.

                        • HalidBeslic [he/him]
                          ·
                          2 months ago

                          Chinese investors revived serbian steel industry that was plundered by US investors post-yugoslavia, very interesting article: https://www.obserwatorfinansowy.pl/in-english/business/incredible-rise-of-serbian-steel-industry/

                          Yes, I know. It was pretty big news here when it happened since the factory employes so many people in Serbia, and Smederevo in particular. It's certainly a reason why Serbia likes China. A company from there also bought up our biggest copper and gold mine in the east of the country, when it was still a net loser. All of these acquisitions helped the economy here greatly, although I'm not a fan of giving out our strategic resources to any countries, even if friendly.

                          But that is only part of the Serbian-Chinese dynamic. The other part is the diplomatic support that China has shown us throughout the years. Even as Vučić's masters in the EU increase pressure regarding the recognition of Kosovo, China has (along with Russia) always shot down any propositions regarding the region in the UN.

                          Also thanks for the video recommendation, i didn't know Norton talked about us. I'll check it out soon.