The leader of United Serbia and MP Dragan Markovic Palma never left anyone indifferent when he said in the middle of the National Assembly that he had a crown, but that he had passed it in just 40 minutes. In an interview with Kurir, he talks about how he found out that he was infected and what the disease was like, but also reveals how he will behave when his new speaker of parliament is Ivica Dacic, a long-time friend and partner in the SPS coalition. He claims that he does not yet know who will be the minister of his coalition, and that he works for the Serbian state “as it comes back”, with and without the function, and does not measure the ministerial chair by himself.
photo: Ana Paunković
Your coalition partner, Ivica Dačić, became the head of parliament, what do you think of that election?
– You are honored because it is the second most important function in Serbia. Taking into account that Serbia is in a very difficult time, it is not enough to establish contacts only with the foreign ministers and ambassadors, we should also make contacts with the parliaments of other important countries. Because decisions are made in parliament. That’s the right function for Dacic. He is one of the most famous world leaders, and while he was the head of diplomacy, in cooperation with President Aleksandar Vučić, up to 18 countries withdrew recognition of Kosovo’s independence. And that is success.
From now on, Dacic will be your boss in the Assembly.
– To speak, I will raise two fingers and say “Allow me, President” before I begin. He is a very good man and we have never quarreled, and since 2008, that is, for 12 years, our parties have been in coalition. And you know what, we had power! And you know our people say: Give power to a man and you will see what he is like. We have shown what we are: take an interest in Serbia, declare the results and help the citizens. I was previously offered to be a minister, but I did not accept it because I want to work well for Serbia without a ministerial position. I don’t need an armchair to do something good.
photo: Ana Paunković
You say “they offered before” … Now they offer you the position of minister and can you talk about the departments that the SPS-JS coalition will lead?
– Trust me, I don’t know. At this time, I don’t know how many departments our coalition will have, or who will be the minister.
Are you excluding yourself?
– I work for Serbia, no matter how you look at it.
In the first session you praised Dacic so much that he even grabbed his head and said: “Palma, you better not praise me anymore …”
– That statement of mine is the most cited of all politicians. Up to 52 media outlets published my statement. What is the point? I didn’t lie about anything. Everything was like this. He is a man who is not materialistic, who is not interested in money. He actually had two pairs of pants and one pair of pants had pockets on the left and right knee for both screwdrivers and motorcycles. I made fun of him several times: “Is it you, Ivica, are you an electrician, so are you wearing those pants?” I do not divide men into beautiful and ugly, I divide them into the capable, the less capable and those who do not know where the left is.
How is Dacic?
– Well, of course, capable. And since he became a minister, he has had to travel, tour countries, and he cannot go in a navy blue suit and take pictures without stopping in one.
It’s OK now?
– It’s etiquette. Etiquette must be respected and one must be in a formal dressing room when there are official meetings.
photo: Printscreen Parlament.rs
You mentioned that you had a crown for 40 minutes. How is that possible? Has been tested?
– Yes, yes, I was on the test. I got that temperature and it passed completely in 40 minutes, but I did the test anyway. Dacic and I were returning from the campaign in Zrenjanin that day. I also get the message that I am positive in the crown. I gave Dacic a phone and said, “Look what it says.” He took the phone in his hands, and at that moment I remembered, so I said to him: “Where did I give you the phone? You! Let me give you the crown!” At that moment, we wanted to go to eat in a cafe , but I immediately dropped everything and isolated myself. Then Dacic was tested and nothing. Negative. Happiness.
The crown has just arrived, there are more and more infected …
– Yes, but now we have to focus on continuing life, children must go to school, people must work, the economy must continue unimpeded, because the state and President Vučić helped 30,000 for three months and 18,000 for two months, and that is a help that was of great importance, for each praise, but that is no longer the case and life and the economy must go further. That is why physicians should be less afraid of people at conferences and more to defend a positive attitude. And when it comes to doctors, I have provided donors in front of Jagodina and I will bring 600 doctors to Greece, 400 from Jagodina and 200 from Belgrade, just to open the borders.
MICKO IMITATED ME FOR KOVID
At minute 21 the crown was shaking, at minute 39 I was sweating, at minute 40 I passed
photo: Damir Dervišagić
Did you see how Mićko Ljubičić imitated you precisely because you said you had a crown for 40 minutes?
– Micko talked about me for 10 minutes. And then I had a crown, just as he described: in minute 21 I was shaking, in minute 39 I was sweating, after minute 40 everything happened. I don’t blame him, that’s funny. Well, there were so many cartoons about me …
Kurir.rs/ Interviewed by Silvija Slamnig Photo: Courier
