The Anti-Reformist Elite

It may be a paradox to say that Yugoslavia still has its own elite. As many as four percent of the population fall within that category, which we define as "that which is the best, the most highly approved, the flower of society." However, the people we polled on the streets of Belgrade look upon today's elites as having more money, and less intellectual, professional, and artistic credibility than those of the past. Mladen Lazic, Ph.D. of sociology, investigated the phenomenon with a team of his colleagues at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade. He concluded that politicians and corporate directors in public and private sectors are among the richest in the nation. A prominent criterion for classifying members of the elite was the status of the political and economic echelon. In the political arena, not only were government ministers and parliament members included, they were also accompanied by members of the opposition.

It is interesting to note that although the team of experts was not asking questions regarding the financial or any other such sensitive status of government members, an attempt of obstruction was made both by the government and the opposition. This is the fourth such study which Lazic has conducted. The first one was inconclusive because, according to him, "we encountered resistance both from government and opposition members, as well as CEOs of private firms. This is one area where we have caught up with the West. Our elite is becoming untouchable as well.

"The previous study conducted by Dr. Lazic in 1993 concluded that 70 percent of the new corporate elite was being recruited from the ranks of the old socialist elite. That number is currently down to 50 percent, although it remains greater than in most former Communist states. The finding was interpreted as the beginning of an end to the socialist era, and taken to mean that technocrats are slowly making their way into the ranks of the elites. The coming of the new elite is marked with a significant differentiation of socioeconomic status. Just as in many eastern European nations, the rich are becoming richer, and the poor drift further towards poverty, and in greater numbers. But who gets ahead at the top?

"On one hand, all social groups which base their social position on private property, have improved their position. Here we include the peasantry and small businesses. Those who lost are urban workers, and the educated middle class. Large corporations also gained larger profit margins. On the other hand, the study found that politicians are by far the richest. They have significantly distanced themselves from the rest of society, and have become far richer than their predecessors during the socialist era.," concludes professor Lazic.

The study also investigated the position which elites have towards privatization, social reform, and political pluralism. The team of experts commented on the lack of acceptance among the elite's ranks of ideas such as political pluralism and market reform. The same is true for many nations in eastern Europe. There is great hesitation. The majority favor privatization, but more than a third are against it.. The findings are similar for pluralism. However, when the issue was phrased differently, i.e. when the question was put forth as whether "partisan politics is the main contributing factor to the crisis in Serbia?", an overwhelming majority agreed. Therefore, we should abolish the multi-party system and solve the crisis.

This anti-reformist position is further supported by a majority in the general population. The opinions of the two lowest but most numerous classes in Serbia, peasants and wage laborers, were also polled. The peasantry is not interested in any kind of reform. That is in many ways understandable. They are owners of private property and are not concerned by the privatization of state firms. Wage laborers are also opposed to it, which is also understandable because they are afraid of losing their jobs. However, such sentiments for reforms are catastrophic for society, because they encourage the elites to follow a policy of stymieing reforms.

Olja Ivanjicki, Artist

"I don't believe there is an elite in the spiritual sense, because many educated people have emigrated. Those who stayed behind are here in poverty and sickness. The class which has emerged and can be called an "elite", are occupied with the building of mansions, Jacuzzis and expensive cars. They too buy my paintings, but through middlemen such as galleries, not directly.

"Having been asked whether she is aware that certain turbo folk stars have become art collectors of known Serbian painters, and that they treat them as investments by keeping them in safes, rather than hanging them up on walls, she answers:

"That is true. This is now the trend. Buying a picture from a known painter buys you a title; you are now officially a collector. They come not only from the music scene; some are also doctors. At times, artists have given paintings to doctors for treating us, as a sign of gratitude. With others, we were friends. Today, they are being given paintings from their rich patients who buy our pictures."

Politicians and CEO's, i.e. people in the financial elite, rarely buy Ivanjicki's pictures. "They act very cold. They buy paintings from those close to them, from artists in their party. I have never belonged to a party, and for those like me, it is harder to sell a picture."

Sava Andjelkovic, Attorney

"We have an elite in the financial sense.That doesn't mean that they are prominent individuals, or the cream of the crop. I cannot consider them elites. Milan also houses vast financial capital, but no ITALIAN tycoon seeks to have statues built in front of an opera house for personal interests. Just look at what this town looks like."
Having been asked about the behavior of people which come in contact with him in his line of work, Andjelkovic responds:
"Fifty years of communist rule have destroyed the principles of fighting for one's rights without infringing on the rights of others. There is widespread theft and corruption, where nothing but personal interests matter. It has nothing to do with the elites. Just look at Parliament. They are our representatives, but the place does not befit their behavior. The new elite has done very well in placing itself. Some of them took factories, some opened up jewelry stores in the most exclusive parts of town. They are now new in every sense: wardrobe, behavior, appearance. They are also new in the cars they drive and people with whom they mingle. They don't need to mingle with a lawyer or a judge. They settle their matters and desires by other means, and do it quite successfully."
 What Citizens of Belgrade Say

N.P. "These nouveau-riche are called an elite because the moral values have been destroyed. Those who were at the bottom are now at the top, and vice versa."
Z.K. "All they have is money, and nothing else. Ask them something about history, art, and they won't be able to answer it."
S.S. "What can I say, everyone wants to be at the top, but not everyone can. Personally, I don't have the right friends, and the right connections."
K.P. "The mafia is now the new elite, those who kill, rob and steal other people's money."
V.O. "Those with money pretend to be our elite. They want others to see them in that light. For me they aren't elites. Only those who have earned our respect through work should be called the elite of the public."
R.V. "Everything today is unbalanced, morality and taste. It is important to have money, not how it is earned. Everything has been thrown in the shadow of money. I hope that some day it will be different.