Citizens, with their own handwriting, wrote the leading election slogan: "FOR ECONOMIC REFORMS, FOR EUROPEAN SERBIA"

THE QUEST: At the following elections, for the first time in past 10 years, the new political elite starts its first serious campaign towards governance.

Dr. Jelica Minic

According to a survey carried out by the Center for political research and public opinion, Serbia has made broken another record. Nowhere in the world has it ever been recorded that 90% of the population is dissatisfied with the economic situation, and only 4% are satisfied. Also, 84% of the inhabitants said that they are dissatisfied with their standard of living, and only 11% said that their standard of living is satisfactory. The fact that 86% of the citizens is unhappy with the international position of Serbia, whereas only 6% say that they are satisfied with it, is also important for this story. The number of undecided people on these and similar issues is marginal. Citizens, in their own handwriting, wrote the leading election slogan: "For Economic reforms, for European Serbia!"

Participation of citizens in political life of Serbia has been at a very low level in the past. They expressed minimal readiness to act within the institutions of the system. A very small number of citizens are members of political parties. Nearly two thirds have neither joined nor support any of the political parties. Only about one third of the citizens are either members or supporters of political parties. In contrast to that, especially at the local level, over the last two years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of citizens who participate in the work of non-governmental organizations, movements and human rights groups or groups offering resistance to the repression.

The main political players in the country are the political-economic lobbies, including the political-Mafia structures. New political forces are emerging at the local level, especially in places where opposition parties won the 1996 elections. Local governments, opposition parties, NGOs , trade unions and independent media are forming new coalitions with a view of effecting changes. These new actors are posing new questions and offering new, attractive and highly competitive products on a monopolized political market. Their role is becoming more visible even in foreign policy relations.

The new authorities will inherit from the ruling regime conflicting relations between Serbia and Montenegro, within Serbia with Kosovo, and ever more with Sandzak and Vojvodina, between the republican authorities and local governments, conflicts with the media, the university and the judiciary... It will leave behind the gray economy and corruption in all pores of the society, illegal import and export, nontransparent monetary, fiscal and trade systems and policies. These problems cannot be solved, nor is there a desire to solve them in a police state with a weak judiciary system. However, the new authorities will have to face them immediately, without any delay.

It is expected that the forthcoming elections will dramatically change the existing political scene by establishing new and by consolidating the existing authorities composed of opposition parties in many towns and municipalities in Serbia, and by achieving a decisive, moral and psychological victory on presidential elections. The major political issues that the new government will have to resolve are free and fair elections, human and minority rights, independent judiciary, freedom of the media, property rights (including privatization), social policy, local government, regional autonomy, relations with Kosovo and Montenegro, relations with ex-Yugoslav republics and other neighboring countries and the European Union. If these issues are not approached in an adequate way, further and deeper divisions, political crises and growing crime rate will be possible.

The main task of the new political elite which will make its first serious attempt to win power after 10 years, is not to prevent the necessary changes: democratization, economic reforms, institutional changes, integration in the European and regional integration processes.

Association with and then joining EU and intensive regional cooperation in Southeast Europe are the only rational choices and the only real interest of Serbia. Soon this option could become visible in Serbia's official foreign policy. In 15 to 20 years Serbia (Yugoslavia) could become a full member of the European Union. Preparations for EU membership are a long and a painful process. To become member of the greatest trade block in the world one has to pay a price. However, that is the only way to achieve lasting political stability and economic development

(Author: Secretary General of the European Movement in Serbia)