Grbović: Serbia was ruined not by the inexperienced but by the “anointed” – Politika

Perhaps a column is needed now more than ever, if there are only presidential elections.

Photo: pokretslobodnih.rs

And perhaps even three will not suffice, if there are parliamentarians. And that depends on many factors, and not on how it was in another country. Step by step – said in a conversation with Danas the newly elected president of the Free Citizens Movement Pavle Grbović, with whom we are talking about his predecessors, how the Movement will operate in the future and whether the Serbian opposition can take the recipe for Montenegrin colleagues.

* You have been in politics for three years and at 26 you became president of a political organization. Knowing that the domestic public likes to stick instant labels, which would bother you more: “is still green” or “they are all the same”?

– Serbia is not politically, socially and morally disfigured by lack of experience, but by “tainted” professionals, polished phony experts and the quasi-elite that sucked the last drop of hope from this country that it is possible to live normally, right here in Serbia So I don’t take the comment that I’m “green” offensive at all. What is green may flourish, but never introduced flowers.

* You are in a dilemma as to what official position PSG should take with regard to an event. When would you invite your predecessor for advice, Sasa Jankovic or Sergej Trifunovic?

– This question returns me to unpleasant situations in which my relatives ask you “when do you prefer, mom or dad?” I have the privilege of being able to consult with both. When it comes to the running of the state and professional matters, Sasa Jankovic would definitely be someone I would consult with, as I could learn a lot from him during the time we worked together. Sergei has other qualities, he moves in different social circles and often knows how to feel a situation well, as a kind of “vox populi”.

* As one of the first movements, he announced the unification of PSG and the New Party. Does this mean that the Movement with its current name will cease to exist and that by joining together you will form a new organization?

– The name of the organization is a technical matter and a subject for future official discussions. The essence is not in the intention of merging the two organizations, but in bringing people together. The free citizens movement is made up of people without the burdens of the past in politics, none of us have violated the public interest or participated in any government. On the other hand, the same people are coming to the helm of the New Party, and the current president has promised that he will no longer hold any office. Why wouldn’t those people, people who have very similar views of Serbia as a modern European civil state, not work together? So that both Aris Movsesian and I can call ourselves presidents of something? To measure who is more beautiful on Twitter? Isn’t it better to work together and isn’t it good for someone to finally connect and not break up? We are dealing with a criminal government and each of us is just a prey waiting her turn, unless we are together then we will be much more resistant.

* You had the opportunity to see how the tabloids close to the regime attacked two of your predecessors. Are you ready for that treatment?

– No one can be completely ready, but must survive. But it is not the worst that can happen to you. No one surrenders to the fight because of his attacks, except when he is demonized by this side of us. Vučić, Martinović, Vučićević or Željko Mitrović cannot hurt you and derail you, only those who you thought were your comrades in arms can.

* Are talks and cooperation with the Serbian United Opposition parties on the question of a joint presidential candidate for the 2022 elections possible?

– Of course they are, but it’s not their time yet. Let’s not be pretentious and set ourselves tasks that we cannot solve at this time. It is clear that there is mistrust, unresolved accounts, that people doubt each other a little. In such a situation, we must first establish a normal relationship, sit without the presence of the media, talk to people, look into each other’s eyes and, if necessary, fight as people, tell each other what is in their hearts and get rid of that load. Then the fighting will stop and we can take the first step. And the first step is to agree on what we all have in common, which are the electoral conditions. It is clear to us that with such electoral conditions, each participation does not differ much from going to the slaughterhouse, but it is also clear that a new boycott would not be a happy solution. So let’s agree on that, what are we looking for, in what way, who will assume what role. Only with a systematic approach will we build trust and be in a position to talk about columns, candidates and other things.

* Speaking of columns, can the model of change of government “in several columns” applied by the Montenegrin opposition in our country be copied in Belgrade and future parliamentary elections?

– The Montenegrin opposition did not invent the multi-column model, so we have to follow their example. Artificial mapping of solutions, without taking into account the context of specific time and space, almost without exception leads to ruin. Just as the dogmatic implementation of ideology leads to fundamentalism, fundamentalism is a shortcut to disaster. Thus, the process of massive privatization, which is a characteristic of liberal ideology, under conditions of drastic social differences and the absence of built institutions, leads to fatal results. We cannot just copy something because we have read it somewhere or heard that it is good, we have to work systematically.

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