Something they brought to Serbia The fifth of October and the Government Zoran Djindjic it has survived to this day - for example, Serbia is not a world pariah, pensions arrive regularly, and gasoline is not traded in plastic bottles.
Some have completely failed, such as free and fair elections.
On the occasion of a quarter of a century since Đinđić became prime minister, "Vreme" in the cover topic of the new issue (on newsstands from this Thursday, January 22) asks what are the warnings and lessons of that era.
"Citizens demanded from Djindjic an almost immediate improvement in the standard of living and economic recovery. After the euphoria after the fall of the Milosevic regime, patience hardly existed. Although the prime minister and his ministers achieved a lot on the economic front, it was never enough for the general public," writes editor-in-chief Filip Švarm in the editorial.
He concludes that the most important legacy is: "Change is possible, justice, democracy and truth can win, and Serbia can become a normal and modern European country."
What is inherited?
Ivan Vujacic, economist, former ambassador to the USA and chairman of the management board of the "Zoran Đinđić" Foundation, talks about the topic in a big interview. Vujacic had known Djindjic since they were young men, and as an official of the Democratic Party, he was close to the events.
We asked him what kind of situation they found that January 2001: "It was much worse than we expected. Just one detail: when winter came, the European Union helped us, among other things, with a donation of electricity because otherwise the system would have collapsed."
Regardless of everything that was done until the murder of Djindjic in March 2003, Vujacic recalls that the first democratic prime minister was not popular. He says he would certainly lose the election.
"Alibi for inaction"
Today, Serbia remembers Djindjic through anniversaries, and that is wrong, says Vujacic.
"We have all heard the sentence countless times that everything would have been different if Djindjic had stayed alive. But that is not true. It would have been different, of course, but not in the sense in which people say it. He could not have transformed Serbia alone."
He recalls that Đinđić also appealed to people to organize themselves and do something instead of "whining".
"People are prone to laments and excuses, in order to get themselves an alibi for inaction. The sentence that says 'with him it would have been different, and now it's all over' is simply defeatist. If you respect Zoran's work so much, do what he would have done - fight now, believe in yourself and don't stumble and give up."
*Read all articles on this topic in the new issue of "Vremena" from Thursday, January 22.Or subscribe now to printed or digital edition
