As international relations become more complicated and conflicts intensify, it becomes increasingly clear that Aleksandar Vučić's ten-year claims that Serbia has brotherly relations with certain countries are nothing more than empty talk.
What we haven't seen since 2012, when they progressives took over the helm of power in Serbia: a sheik in a Zvezda jersey, moving the dates of holidays, Ivica Dačić singing and musical evenings in "Bokeljka", the double-headed Albanian eagle in Belgrade. And all with the explanation that we are being visited by fraternal leaders who have fraternal relations with the President of Serbia and who thus enable us all to live as one big family in prosperity that increases year by year.
People have already gotten used to seeing those hugs that are atypical for international relations, counts the buds in the bouquets that are being prepared for "first ladies" or important women who rule the world, waits in the car for a long time until the important guests come and go, and reads on Instagram about the great friendships of our former Prime Minister, and for the last eight years the President of Serbia.
More than anyone before him, Aleksandar Vučić expanded the "politics of fraternal relations" to unimaginable limits, caricaturing what in diplomacy was sometimes associated with the relations of "similar nations" - for example, Turkey and Azerbaijan, or countries where members of the same nation live, such as Greece and Cyprus. If those before him talked about brotherly Montenegro, Republika Srpska and Russia, Vučić discovered "brothers" from China to Hungary, from Albania to Paris. Taking pictures for Instagram with the leaders of many countries, he showed the public in Serbia that there is something more than steel friendship between them - brotherhood.
While other countries made strategic decisions and concluded strategic agreements with other countries that allowed them to take their rightful place in international relations, Serbia under Vučić depends on the monologue of its president, who assures the people that his personal relations with the presidents of governments, states and parties of individual states are much more important and stronger than any contract or agreement between two states. Perhaps this is the reason for Serbia's lagging behind in the process of joining the European Union, because in its administration there is no person whom Vučić could invite for lunch or wine, nor one with whom he would sit in the "Bokeljka" villa and make the best deals for Serbia with the sound of a violin. Nevertheless, on the international stage, there are Vučić's brothers like and like, they are not all the same, and least of all his relations with them.
photo: ap photo...
BROTHER VLADIMIR PUTIN
"Everyone knows that I am one of the few who have met Putin so many times."
"People ask me, call me when they go to see Putin because they know that I know him very well..."
These are two typical sentences that Vučić used to explain his relationship with the long-time president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. Although they haven't met since Sochi in the late fall of 2021, this year Vučić met with him twice – on the sidelines and within the protocol of the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow and Beijing. In any case, Putin always had the status of the eldest brother - older, more experienced and smarter. That is why Vučić behaves towards him with a dose of unpleasant humility from the first known meeting. She was also seen when Serbia moved the date of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of Belgrade in World War II by four days so that the oldest of the brothers could come. In addition, when Putin stopped by for a few hours in Belgrade for the second time, at the beginning of 2019, the largest gathering of support organized by SNS since its existence was organized for him - in return, the gathered received only the famous sentence from Putin: "Spasiba za druziba." By the way, the president of Russia rarely or never speaks at public gatherings of this type outside his country, so this performance in front of the Saint Sava Temple, which Russia indirectly helped, was embodied as something very special. Vučić did not forget that and to this day he has not changed his opinion and attitude about his eldest brother in international relations, and even these days, when Serbia risks being the subject of American sanctions due to its support for Russia. Obviously, Putin's position and the attitude towards him are one of the key indicators of our president's rating, and there must be no changes there, even at the cost of new troubles for the citizens of Serbia.
photo: phonet...
BROTHER SI JINGPING
Another brother comes from the Far East - the President of China, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and one of the world's most powerful and long-lived leaders. According to Xi Jinping, Vučić's love came indirectly through Tomislav Nikolić, who in some strange way managed to win the hearts of Chinese friends in the early stages of his rule. Everyone remembered Nikolić's sentence at the meeting with Si in Belgrade in 2016: that according to Tarabić's prophecy, "yellow people will drink water from Morava". And indeed, when you look at Serbia today, China is one of the most favorite partners, and the so-called "steel friendship" was further confirmed during the corona virus epidemic. The disturbing performances of Vučić - frightened by the number of dead that he was not allowed to announce to the citizens of Serbia - are well remembered, when he declared that only his Chinese friends did not betray him and leave him in the lurch.
Xi Jinping also stayed in Belgrade in 2024, and Vučić went on a long trip to China several times in order to provide Serbia with support for the "fight for Kosovo in the UN". Also, that brother Si would give new loans or buy new companies. Maybe Vučić didn't exactly call Xi a brother like some others, but he did treat him like a godfather: whenever things were "thick", he would rely on China, to "do" Beijing for the ironworks, Bor, Linglong and the like. Of course, this fraternal relationship also led to the fact that the Chinese and their responsibility for the fall of the canopy in Novi Sad are not discussed - they are not heard, as if they are exempt from responsibility for violating the laws of the Republic of Serbia. It is also possible that Vučić and his brother Si have special affairs and relationships, so great that they were never fully presented to the citizens of Serbia.
photo: phonet...
BROTHER VIKTOR
After Putin and Xi, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, has a special place at Vučić's celebratory table. That is the general point of the Serbian political fairy tale that begins in 2012. In Hungary, Orban is Putin in the ideological key, and Xi in the business plan, so that in one person he combines two older brothers whom Vučić, understandably, fears more than he respects. On that level, Viktor is his twin brother who is a little more successful and from whom he learns, but he is someone Vučić seems to have gotten the closest to and with whom he has the most intimate relationships. Their meetings and meetings are multiple and numerous, they met more times than the SNS Presidency. Business, football and Salach relations are connected in every possible way, so brother Orban "defends" Vučić with all his strength in the European Union, although Hungary's opinion has not been taken seriously there for a long time. What Vučić did not get from brother Orban - at least not publicly - was to open the door to the White House, to which Vučić has the keys, but he is forbidden to approach that building. Brother Viktor has his own problems at the moment, the spring elections are approaching, where he can make a change. Who knows, maybe after that he will move to Belgrade on the water.
BROTHER BIN ZAYED
In the strange movements that Vucic has had since coming to power, the place of UAE ruler Sheikh Bin Zayed has a special place. Whether through Milo Đukanović or someone else, it was only in the early stages of his rule that Vučić befriended the sheikh, who immediately brought him at least two joint ventures: the construction of Belgrade on the water and the transformation of JAT into Air Serbia. Over time, the Emirates became a second home for Vučić, but also for his associates, as well as those who profited from Vučić's vision of Serbia. The relationship with his brother Bin Zayed is both of a business and personal nature, Vučić repeatedly "stressed" that he learned a lot from the experience of the Sheikh from the Emirates and that this "model" state is what is closest to his heart. What he didn't tell us was the fact that the Emirates is a country that has far more foreigners than nationals and that rich nationals live off cheap foreign labor. Bin Zayed recently appeared again as a potential savior in the oil crisis in Serbia, but until the conclusion of this issue of "Vremena" there is no confirmation that his company would market NIS, as it bought PKB the other day - for little money, but with many friendly and fraternal messages from both sides.
BROTHERS ROBERT FICO AND ANDREJ BABISH
In the characters of these two populist politicians - one at the head of Slovakia, and the other perhaps again at the head of the Czech Republic - Vučić's desire to be in the company of some important countries within the EU merges. If Orbán's opinion is no longer adhered to, if Germany is far away and France is unknown without Emmanuel Macron, then it is good to have these two rich hedonists and populists from Central Europe on your side. Vučić identified with his brother Robert Fitz so much that he relived his wounds after the assassination a few years ago. In the Serbian tabloids, it was written for a while that Vučić was next, and it seems that the bullet that wounded Fitz was the link to establish brotherly relations. Fico is similar to Vučić because he represents the "Russian" side of EU politics and his job is to see Putin and annoy the rest of the EU. Considering that he comes from a country that is not that influential, he obviously can't do much damage, but he can help his fellow Serbs if they need someone to paint. When we move to the terrain of the Czech Republic and the possible new prime minister, it can be seen that since the corona era, he has shown affection towards Vučić, who has always been inclined to trust rich people who "know their business". These brotherhoods are bound by the populist-libertarian-populist ideology, as well as the brothers' business and good earnings.
BROTHER EDDY RAMA
While Angela Merkel ruled Europe, Vučić and Edi Rama, his counterpart from Albania, were the biggest brothers. Let's face it, they are among the highest leaders in Europe, so they always stand out in those joint pictures, but they were also part of the idea of the Open Balkans and the Balkan process. The first is an American story, and the second is a German story. For a time, it was not possible to live on great brotherly love, so atypical among Serbs and Albanians that it seemed that the communist-partisan ideal of Bora and Ramiz, heroes from the Second World War, had been reached. But in the end it turned out that Rama's brother is not a brother at all, especially since recently Albania is moving violently towards the EU and in a few years it will overtake Serbia, which was at least ten years ahead of Albania when the two took power. So the two of them see each other less and less, there is no more hanging out, clinking glasses at wine parties and taking pictures.
photo: phonet...
BROTHER TAIP ERDOGAN
As with Rama, it started wonderfully, brilliantly and brotherly with Erdogan, announcing the bridges of reconciliation and trust between the quarreling Christians and Muslims. However, a huge picture of Miloš Obilić stabbing Murat has been circulating these days at the KK Partizan-Fenerbahce match in Belgrade. Since Turkey recently delivered drones to the Kosovo security forces, Vučić was the first to raise his voice against Erdogan, whom he previously claimed calls him (Vučić) non-stop, that he is a real brother, asks him about his children and the health of his parents, and congratulates him on his success. Suddenly, Erdogan was put in his old radical position - the enemy of Christians and Serbs. Obviously, the days of love between brothers have passed, which, according to Vučić, was so great that it was enough for him to call his brother in Ankara and for him to promptly send one of his own to open a factory in Vladicin Han or Krupanj or take out a loan and send a construction operative to build a highway to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It seems that an even bigger Big Brother has interfered in everything and spoiled relations on the geopolitical plane.
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