Vucic: There'll be no transitional or expert government
FoNet
3–4 minutes
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic firmly rejected the possibility of forming a transitional or expert government during a gathering in Trstenik, central Serbia, on Friday evening.
"I guarantee with my life there will be no transitional or expert government. It will be a Serbian government," Vucic declared, claiming that recent events in Serbia represent attempts by foreign intelligence agencies to destabilize the country.
Elections, referendums, democracy – these are all possible, but there won't be a government of puppets servile to others, not while I'm alive and serving as president, he said, adding that a "significant foreigner" had suggested the idea of an expert government following Prime Minister Milos Vucevic's resignation.
Vucic noted that the government's plan is to engage in dialogue with everyone, including those who hold different views. He said that, as president, when the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic is officially acknowledged, he will invite all parliamentary parties to discussions, even though he anticipates they will not attend.
"Students have been protesting for months and are refusing to study, they won't talk with us, or with the prosecutors, but we want to talk and we will keep inviting them," said Vucic, reiterating that the state has fulfilled all their demands and paid out scholarships and student loan payments.
The president also called on university professors "not to bury their heads in the sand" but to engage with their government, as it is the only one they have.
"It is time to start a dialogue and resolve issues in the quickest and best way possible, and that is my sincere offer. If you won't talk to me, there are plenty of ministers to engage with. If you won't talk to them, there are others – let's just start addressing the problems so our children can go back to school," said Vucic.
The state will tolerate protests as long as they don't turn violent, but tensions are rising because "boss Solak" (United Group co-owner Dragan Solak) is selling his company, and before he does that, he needs to carry out a revolution in Serbia and push for violence, Vucic claimed.
He said his message to the people and foreigners is that there will be no compromises regarding Serbia's legal status.
"Kosovo is Serbia, and there will be no sanctions against our friends, no matter how much they demand it. We will not hand over Serbia to those who plundered it from 2000 to 2012," he said.
The president listed the economic successes of the government, led by the Serbian Progressive Party since 2012, particularly emphasizing that Serbia now ranks first in the region in terms of average salary, surpassing countries that previously had significantly higher wages.
As Vucic addressed the crowd, his supporters shouted "President, we love you!" to which he responded, "I love you too."
