Ever since Karadžic's arrest, Serbia has again
sharply divided into citizens who cannot hide
their pleasure and nationalists driven by an
unrestrained rage. However, this is an emotion
that has been surging out on a regular basis
in the last twenty years, whenever the opportunity
arises for it.
It is much more important to see into what the
actual political situation in Serbia is like
now and of what elements is it made.
Along with the first information on the arrest,
the government announced that the country's safety
level was raised.
This reveals the dramatic vulnerability of today's
Serbia. On one hand, it was an energetic action
of settling the accounts with war criminals, and
on the other hand, not only a sensible precaution
but also an evident lack of self-confidence of
the government in the sense how safe it actually
is and the rest of us, from the powers of evil.
Such government does not give peace, or confidence.
Moreover, why would it when from the top government
institutions we hear signals that they themselves
are scared as well. The National Parliament session,
which had already fallen into an absolute blockade,
was unexpectedly adjourned for two weeks. The
reason was fear of receiving the news on Karadzic's
arrest during the session, and that the nationalist
rage of MPs from SRS and DRS could set an example
for a portion of citizens and encourage them to
cause riots.
Sounds paradoxal, but it is obvious that the situation
calmed down because of the nationalists themselves
who, after a several-day noise, have proved unable
to cause large-scale riots, but only individual
brutal incidents, such as beating up the journalist.
If it continues like that, it is possible for
them to loosen up relatively quickly, despite
of impassioned calls from the nationalist leaders.
Toma Nikolic was among the first to throw the
provocative call: "I'm going to use all kinds
of democratic struggle to throw down the president
Tadic's regime soon". All of us know that
when he says so, the emphasis is not on the "democratic",
but on the "throwdown".
"Pravda" magazine has gone the furthest
with its block letters cover page titles like:
"Serbian cattle arrested Karadzic".
This scandalous campaign is nothing but a prolongation
of chaotic Parliament happenings of July, when
it found itself blocked, unable to ratify highly
important decrees such as the Stabilization and
Association Agreement with the European Union,
foreign loans arrangements, Russian gas contract
and the Kosovo Resolution. A several-day action
of radical and national MPs was mildly referred
to as the "obstruction", which might
have had an overtone of a dose of certain legality.
Actually, this was an attempt to drive the country
into a chaotic and unconstitutional state.
Do our officials have the strength to settle these
troublesome relations with the EU finally, the
relations that fell into a ditch long ago, due
to which Europe shows signs of being tired of
us? The Karadzic arrest arose new hope, but this
newly gained potential may fade out fast if it
proves to be only buying of time for the capture
of Mladic.
