Translated from German
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Der Spiegel ( Hamburg ) 16 July 2001
Interview with Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic
I Warn the West
(Spiegel) You took upon yourself the risks from handing
over Milosevic to the War Crimes Tribunal. Was it worth it?
(Djindjic) We did not set any conditions for the extradition.
This was in order to demonstrate our goodwill toward integration
into the international community. Still, I must admit that I am
shocked about the farce of "western aid", supposedly totaling
$1.3 billion.
(Spiegel) What do you mean by "farce"? There's a tidy sum of money
involved.
(Djindjic) It would have been better if the donors' conference had
never taken place, and the 50 million German marks (DM) had simply been
pressed into our hands. What we're trying to do here is to reform the
country, and promote a pro-western course, despite the NATO bombing -
and ten bureaucrats sit there in Brussels, acting on the maxim:
when the light goes out, the brake goes on.
(Spiegel) Can you explain this more precisely?
(Djindjic) In August, we were supposed to receive the first
instalment of 300 million euros. Suddenly we're informed that 225
million euros of these are to be held back as debts, some of which
were incurred by Tito. Two thirds of the sum is "punitive interest",
since for ten years Milosevic refused to repay these loans.
We won't receive payment of the remaining 75 million euros before
November at the earliest. Such are the guiding principles in the west,
we were told. This means giving medicine to a critically ill person
once he's dead. Our crisis months are July, August, and September.
(Spiegel) Are you afraid that your government will fall?
(Djindjic) Unless we receive a financial injection immediately, we'll
get demonstrations and social unrest by September at the latest,
as we haven't been able to deliver on our promises. There are
330,000 families living on a monthly income of below DM40, 600,000
refugees are putting an extra burden on our budget, and 100,000 people
will lose their jobs because of the transformation of our economy
required by our western creditors. There is no investment,
nothing is being worked on, nothing is being built. Meanwhile,
Milosevic's former socialist henchmen still hold key posts in the
economy, wanting the country to lapse into chaos.
(Spiegel) The Socialists are apparently gaining ground again. Could
this become a new danger for the governing coalition of DOS (Democratic
Opposition of Serbia) democrats?
(Djindjic) The Socialists and Radicals would certainly gain more
votes in an election. Another factor is Yugoslav President Kostunica's
skeptical attitude toward the west, and his constant
warning that none of the money that has been promised will actually
arrive...
(Spiegel) ... and his abusing you as a renegade, who disgraced
his country by handing over Milosevic.
(Djindjic) I'd welcome a little more loyalty on his part.
What is certainly dangerous is the prospect of such pseudo-patriotic
statements arousing fresh outbreaks of anti-western trauma within
the public. I cannot rule out the possibility of a new government,
maybe even Radical leader Seselj, then receiving the first
instalment of the aid package.
My aim has been to set priorities with business, and alleviate other
problems. And I warn the west, in all seriousness: if my government
falls, this will cost the international community $10 billion.
(Spiegel) Will this all lead to another war?
(Djindjic) It will lead to crises in Vojvodina, in Montenegro,
in Kosovo, in Sandcak, in southern Serbia. Cooperation with the
Hague Tribunal will be non-existent. And, as ever, hundreds of
thousands of refugees will be at large. Then, though, western
governments will earmark money for this in their budgets. No one will
ask themselves:
could the crisis have been prevented? Everyone will chorus that the
Balkans are still not calming down. What we need is honest help,
not empty avowals of sympathy. When I was in opposition, the
European Union promised us DM3 billion in cash in return for
Milosevic's fall. Where is the money?
(Spiegel) You planned to resign, if Milosevic's extradition
failed. Will you throw it in if western finance ministers don't deliver?
(Djindjic) I cannot go on promising the people western help if we see
no signs of it here. It's losing me my credibility, and I cannot
stabilize the country. Why should I risk my family being killed by a
car bomb, if everything reverts to null and void anyway?
(Spiegel) Will you hand over General Mladic to the Hague Tribunal, if
he returns to his home in Belgrade?
(Djindjic) I don't have to carry all this region's problems on my
back. I hope I don't meet him.
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Serbian News Network - SNN
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http://www.antic.org/
