Cooperation Without Illusions

On the one hand, the Congress was excellently organized and it projected, in the style of a multi-media show, the pink perspective of a modern, futuristic "Serbia 2000". On the other hand, there was a conspicuous contrast between the technically perfect performance and the traditional pseudo-monolith character of the Congress. There was no real discussion, criticism, or even controversy. There was no real discussion of the causes, responsibilities and consequences of the recent past. So the glittering picture of the future remained peculiarly unreal and abstract, because it made both the killing (terrible) past and the grey present fade.

If we look at the central messages, contents and results of the Congress, there is the positive impression that the leadership and the delegates are determined to implement the Dayton agreement and to profile Yugoslavia as a constructive peace factor. It is important to mention that they spoke in favour of Europe and the approach to the European Union, which, as SPS representatives noticed, implies good relations with Germany as Europe's economically most powerful component. It is obvious now that the affection for Europe should now, as an integrating idea, fill the gap created by the discrediting of Communism and aggressive nationalism.

However positive and promising the reiteration of the importance of peace and turning to Europe may be - it remained unusually abstract in the Congress. It is quite obvious that Milosevic does not want to make a real promise, but to leave all options open for future.

The world-famous name of Karadzic was not even mentioned, neither in a positive nor a negative context, which was quite unusual for a foreign observer.

As for the European Union, the apparently strengthening notion in the SPS leadership is that Brussels is the most important potential partner for the modernization of the country. However, they do not seem to have become quite aware of the fact that the approach to the European Union, a long-term membership perspective, requires the fulfilment of important conditions (principles of democracy, social market economy, human, civil and ethnic rights, freedom of press, etc.). The answer to this question is: these principles have already been accomplished (in politics), or their accomplishment is on the right course (in economy).

The observer, of course, knows that the reality is different and strongly contrasted to the harmonious programming of SPS. He learns about the details he does not know from the representatives of the opposition and the independent (critical) media. The regime uses its mechanism and media to politically control the situation, making contradiction next to impossible, especially in the province. Opposition and criticism can exist only in the proportion in which they are not dangerous for the system (repressive tolerance). Attempted economic reforms have come to a deadlock because the managers who are closely related to SPS are incapable of adapting to new circumstances and show little interest for the implementation of the decisive structural reforms. Conclusion: expressions of loyalty to the peace of SPS leadership and their tendency to include the country in the European integration processes should be praised and taken seriously. The consequent realization of such a strategy would be in the interest of all the sides, because Serbia is an integral part of Europe. However, one must know that such a constructive policy might be revoked (changed) in a certain situation - also because it was not really discussed and because it is not anchored in the collective consciousness of the people and party members. An example of such a relapse is the insinuated conspiracy of Draskovic and Schrembgens, in the context of which the opposition is being condemned and the traditional picture of Germany as an enemy revived.

In this context, the following must be energetically explained to the SPS leadership: Serbia may be involved in the European processes only in the proportion to which its representatives accept, not only in their programmes, but also in reality, the norms, values and standards of European co-existence (OESC, Europarat, EU) and start practising them in their political activity (the same applies to Croatia - eventually in order to prevent many comments, even by representatives of the opposition, that the West is being partial). This is why the opening up of the country will have a chance and perspective only if Belgrade keeps its word and if the West binds the cooperation process to more precise conditions. This particularly refers to media: allowing the opposition to approach the state-dominated communication channels and free work of the private media are central conditions for a democratic transformation (primarily concerning non-filtering of information for the people living in the province). Versatile support of the European Union and its member-countries in this field would be an important investment for the future.

Contrary to what it claims, SPS is presently far from being a democratic-socialist party of the Western type. However, just as one should not eliminate possible regressive steps, one must not, in the long run, exclude the possibility of progressive changes. This is why the isolation policy seems counter-productive to me. Moreover, in the context of the peace process, I should recommend, without any illusions, the policy of bilateral contacts and talks with the ruling party. At the same time, talks should also be held with representatives of the democratic opposition. The reasons for this are not only the political and moral ones, because the opposition represents those social forces which are close to the system of values and principles of the West. There are other, pragmatic reasons which support this idea: despite all the shortcomings and divisions, the democratic opposition in Serbia is an important political factor which advocates peace, democracy and social changes.

(The author is an analyst at the German Federal Institute for East-European and International Studies in Cologne)