Arpad Genz In Subotica

The Subotica national circle Nepker is one of the oldest cultural-political institutions of Vojvodina Hungarians. It was founded during the golden era of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy; its significance grew at the time, this part of the Balkans was annexed to the new state of South Slavs by the Versailles Treaty as it lent spiritual support to the part of the Hungarian nation which had suddenly become a minority. After World War II, Nepker was reduced to nurturing amateur folklore.

Subotica Mayor Joszef Kasa, who two weeks ago became the head of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), had earlier included in the agenda of the Subotica Assembly the restoration of Nepker's building. Just as the reconstruction was ending in late December, a bitter fight broke out between the SVM and the other ethnic Hungarian party (Democratic Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, DZVM, headed by Androsz Agoszton). The quarrel was begun by Agoszton's followers, who accused Kasa and his advocates of "usurping Nepker". The Subotica Mayor acted quite unusually for a politician and accused the DZVM of "fuelling the atmosphere resulting in incidents" like the planting of explosives.

The episode ended with Kasa announcing a celebration of Nepker's revival and the presence of the Hungarian President at it! The only (state and non-party) daily in Hungarian, "Maguar Szo", wrote in its 17 December issue that Arpad Genz was coming on a private visit. The Serbian, i.e. Yugoslav, side had invited Serbian Culture Minister Nada Perisic-Popovic. Instead, Deputy Federal Prime Minister Jovan Zebic appeared at the celebration.

Genz spoke about the necessity of living together in these parts ("It is no accident that I am here only four days after the peace accord was signed,"), on Hungary's non-interference during the South Slav ("fratricidal") war and the return of all refugees ("one-fourth of Vojvodina Hungarians have left their fatherland").

The host, Zebic, did not utter a word in response to the Hungarian President's words.

While speaking about the nature of the autonomy of the Hungarian minority, Genz said that he was thinking of autonomy in public administration, culture, education and territorial autonomy. But, he first underscored: "The Hungarian state will support the type of autonomy Hungarians in Vojvodina agree on".

 

 

Special Exporters

 

Right after it supported Program II of Economic Stabilization and decided to liberalize trade, the Serbian Government explicitly kept in force the Radoman Bozovic's order on banning wheat exports without the Government's approval. The wheat exports have so far been granted only to the Belgrade firm Progres (headed by Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic) for one million tons, the Belgrade C-market (headed by Slobodan Radulovic, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister) for 100,000 tons, and the Novi Sad firm Koprodukt (headed by Milivoj Jonjev who rebelled the most at the Republican Commodity Reserve Administration bidding). Reporters from the field say that there is a shortage of wheat in Vojvodina since all of it was bought by prospective exporters (without or without the export licence).

 

 

One List - No Communists

 

The chief Serbian parties have already begun making a calendar for the next year. The Socialist Party of Serbia will hold its Congress in March, the Serbian Renewal Movement will celebrate the fifth anniversary of the most famous demonstrations in pre-Dayton Serbia on the ninth of the same month.

If one also bears in mind the creation of a resistance front (rallies, parallel Parliament, strikes) which SPO leader Vuk Draskovic has been announcing and inviting parties, trade unions and all others who want changes to join, one gets the picture of what awaits the Serbian political stage in the 1996 year of election.

Everything else remains blurred, particularly the elections. Formally, only the Federal elections should be held in December 1996. On the other hand, part of the opposition hopes Republican elections will be held before their time, too, in the spring or early summer of next year.

The opposition bases its hope in the Republican elections more on its belief that Milosevic will want to make use of his current popularity and will allow elections right after the Congress, than on reliable information; it is nevertheless seriously considering its pre-election moves.

First, the six-year-old idea of the opposition's unification has again re-emerged. Some new alliances have been formally created, above all the Democratic Alliance made up of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Serbia, the Serbian Liberal Party and others...

On the other hand, by announcing the creation of a resistance front, Draskovic ruled out all ideas of associating with the Socialists and went back to his old subject - the unification of the opposition.

This was one of the reasons why Vuk Draskovic, Civic Alliance leader Vesna Pesic and Nenad Canak from League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina, met in the SPO headquarters last Wednesday to talk about post-Dayton Serbia. Draskovic underscored that the hullabaloo raised by the Yugoslav United Left and the Socialists can finally force the "wolf, the bear, the fox and the rabbit" into the same cave and even suggested the (united) opposition's new election slogan - "One list - no Communists".

The impression one gains after reviewing all the above-listed events is that part of what the opposition has come up with something that actually makes sense and corresponds to something called an election year - announcement of a March 9 rally to counter the Socialists' Congress, actions which will pressure the authorities on all issues; the other part of the oppoistion, the one already concentrating on elections and election coalitions, however, resembles the mistakes the opposition had already made in the past.

Above all, because it is highly probably that Milosevic will not opt for elections before next December, which will pose a major challenge to any Serbian opposition alliance. It is difficult to expect those who cannot stand each other and who have nothing in common except their conflict with Milosevic to stay together for a whole year.

At the meeting in SPO, Vesna Pesic said that the opposition kept on "entering rooms Milosevic had already left" and were therefore empty. As it is highly probably that the "election room" has been swept a long time ago and that on-one but the opposition will be in it for a long time, the opposition would do best to leave it as soon as possible and turn to concrete issues.

Vesna Pesic suggests the re-examination of the opposition and a new "agenda". Canak proposes that the opposition unite only on matters everyone really agrees on, while Draskovic is for actions aimed at achieving one concrete goal at a time, not everything at once.

Democrats Djindjic, Kostunica and Radical Seselj have agreed with these suggestions, in principle at least, and it would now be logical if all of them agreed on these matters in order to face a brighter future.

However, it is difficult to believe in such a scenario. Above all, because the end of the Serbian opposition fable in which the characters find themselves in the same cave has so far always been tragicomic. And the key character had always laughed best.

 

 

Rambo Amadeus: Careful, Young People!

 

Six concerts in Slovenian rock clubs that can take 3-500 people, one gig at the Pristina student club (400), can be considered a fine tour after which you can't help but think that our former home was beautiful and diverse. So here's another Yugo-nostalgic person!

And it seems I'm not the only one. At the gig in Brezice and Ilirska Bistrica over half the audience were kids from Zagreb, Rijeka, Pula...

Their knowledge of my songs from 5-6-7-8 years ago made me feel like a cultural monument. I saw clearly that they hadn't come to a concert but to a museum to see the spiritual and material remains of the Glorious Past and admire them. Yugo-nostalgia baby!!!!

With the kids came Croatian reporters (about 10 or so) to beg for an interview!!??

After consulting the band, we decided that, diplomatically considering the Dayton agreement had just been signed, it would be rude to refuse. We soon discovered that any talk of music had to get a political tone at the editor's desk probably to sell more newspapers.

After Slovenia, the tour of the outer regions of the former Yugoslavia continued.

Beauty and diversity replaced each other like summer showers with falls of sunshine breaking through the clouds.

Pristina. Rooms in the "professors' shacks". The name isn't a figure of speech but a realistic term which leads to the conclusion that teachers from other universities visiting Pristina are housed there. By musicians' standards it's OK, it has hot water so I didn't go into sociological discussions about the status of professors compared to the housing.

The gig was standard, the audience in the mood for a good time. The thing that come to mind is the modern transport from Belgrade: Birlik and Sejditurs, two modern double-decker Volvo buses with TVs, toilets and other modern conveniences.

The bus conductors were extremely polite, they talked to passengers in two languages. They served candy, juice and coffee. The ride was comfortable, the tickets cheap.

Back to Belgrade. I was immediately handed invitations printed on fine, expensive paper. A rave party!

The sponsors were BK Telekom, Bozen cosmetics and city hall!

The rave, the latest trick of the authorities in Europe to keep the poor under control has been received well here. Take care young people!

So what's the point you wonder? There is no point. Take a rest from dramatic turns in life. Put aside exclusivity, being shocked and scandals. Let's stroke our brains a little. Give them the needed dose of boredom. I contributed. I taped a boring album. It'll be out in a few days.