Croatian writer Vedrana Rudan is considered by local readers to be a Serbian writer. Her novels and collections of commentaries are a sure publishing touch, and her literary evenings and similar events are the talk of the town. Rudan writes about (the order is not important) Croats, women, religion, old age, husbands, Serbs, family, transition, love, Americans, loneliness, children, Palestinians, sex, death, cursing... He writes as he thinks, in exact words, and is not does not care what people will think of her.
Vedrana Rudan is in Belgrade on Thursday, in the large hall of the SKC at 18 p.m., promoting her latest novel Life imprisonment. "Laguna", its publisher in Serbia, published it this March, and the second edition is already in bookstores.
Superficially speaking, Life imprisonment is a novel about freedom. In recent months, freedom has been a common word in Serbia, in the sense of freedom from the influence of East and West in order to remain neutral, which Aleksandar Vučić insists on. Is such a position even possible in the 21st century?
"I'm not really sure that Serbia, if Serbia is Vučić, and it is, is trying to free itself from the influence of the East and the West." He recently said that Serbia must turn to Europe because it is a 'state interest' even though the people may think otherwise. Who is Vučić's 'people', what is his 'state'? Someone should ask him that," believes Vedrana Rudan.
During that time, a similar decision was imposed on Croatia: for President Milanović's position that the Ukrainians are to blame for the situation in Ukraine or those who incited them to war, that is, Prime Minister Plenković who wonders if the president is a Russian spy.
Vedrana Rudan, however, says that "the Croatian population is dying of hunger and misery and it is certainly not at the end of its mind to analyze the statements of two controlled 'lunatics'." One cries over the fate of the Croats in BiH, the other whines over the fate of the Ukrainians. Why Milanović "smoke to Putin" and why Croats in Croatia are not important to him, ask God. The latter has no idea how the poor Croats live, even though he is directly responsible for their situation. "While the exotic duo play great statesmen, the citizens of Croatia dig through the trash cans."
Rudan believes that "in the history of mankind there is only one division: into rich and poor, masters and slaves, powerful and powerless, full and hungry, tyrants and victims". In these determinants, it is also possible to recognize these current divisions, due to which it is suspected, and not infrequently, that the Western Balkans is the next war destination.
"If the 'big', Russia or America, decide that there will be blood here, there will be blood," says Rudan. "Unfortunately, we who live here have nowhere to run." The West is no longer a collection of promised lands. In Germany, Lidl withdrew the decision according to which children under the age of eighteen may not buy a liter of sunflower oil. There, citizens are only allowed to buy a liter of oil, so in order to increase household supplies, they send their children to get oil in fear of shortages and price increases. The American-Russian war is coming to a head for the Europeans."
In the context of the story about the polarization of society is the fact that right-wing parties are gaining strength in the region, and not only in the region.
"I grab my gun when I hear that right-wing parties are getting stronger," says Rudan and asks ". what is 'right' today?" Who are the 'leftists'? If 'leftists' are good boys and girls, why don't we see a single good girl or boy on the world political scene? All politicians are the same. Well, not all of them. Zelenski, for example, included his djoka in his fight for 'democracy', with which he allegedly plays the piano phenomenally. The bastards seduce us in ever more exotic ways. The region has been ruled by criminals since the nineties. I don't know if they are 'left' or 'right'."
If, as he says, all politicians are the same, and if they are misleading us, what do you think why it is good and why it is not that Serbia elected Aleksandar Vučić again?
"Serbia had no choice. She could have chosen Vučić or Vučić. I suppose that small peoples living in unimportant countries can choose who they want. Judging by how long Vučić has been president, Serbia is a small and insignificant country. If it was important, the Serbian people would choose the one who would be imposed on them by someone who has Serbia in focus. If Vučić did not answer to both the East and the West, one or the other would remove him or kill him. At the moment, it does not bother anyone, and the people choose only what is offered to them. Vučić has no competition in Serbia. I think he is a cunning and skillful politician, much more cunning and skillful than his opponents think. How long he will rule will certainly not be decided by the Serbian people," says Rudan.
Vedrana Rudan often and gladly points out that she is doing well in Belgrade. True, he does not specify which Belgrade he is referring to, the one before Goran Vesić or the one now. She says that it doesn't matter to her at all.
"My best friends live in Belgrade. The city is made of people, not politicians. For me, Belgrade is not Vesić nor the one who will come after him. For me, Belgrade is two Tanjas, one Flavio, the team from Laguna and my dear, dear readers."
Read daily news, analysis, commentary and interviews at www.vreme.com
