Unlike Ivice Dacic, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Internal Affairs and Chief Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Branko Ruzic in an interview with the Italian digital magazine "Report Difesa" he says that the SPS should go to the elections independently, under its own name, with its own program and its own candidates.
Because "citizens deserve to know what socialists stand for and how they differ from other political parties", and "a party that has existed for decades must not reduce its political future to waiting for others to determine how many seats it will get on the electoral list".
The EU is the civilizational choice of Serbia
Serbia has not formally abandoned its European path, but it has lost precious time, political momentum and credibility, Ružić continues.
"European integration does not advance through public announcements or occasional expressions of goodwill. It advances through reforms that citizens can feel in their daily lives — in justice, education, health, media and the way public institutions serve them," explains the former minister of education.
He believes that for Serbia, membership in the European Union is a "civilizational, economic and institutional choice", that the country should continue to develop constructive relations with the United States, China and Russia, but that its strategic orientation must remain clear.
"A country that tries to move in several opposite directions at the same time runs the risk of finding itself without any clear direction," says Ružić.
Political stability is not measured by television appearances
"Citizens increasingly doubt that the institutions of the Republic of Serbia work independently, that the rule of law applies equally to everyone, or that they can freely express their political views without fear of consequences," said Ružić.
He believes that reports issued by European institutions should not be interpreted as acts of hostility towards Serbia. Because "when they express concerns about election conditions, media freedom, independence of the judiciary, corruption or the treatment of civil society, they are dealing with issues that the citizens of Serbia themselves have been pointing out for many years."
"Political stability is not measured by rallies, television appearances or parliamentary majority", believes the SPS official.
Because Serbia needs "fair election conditions, freer media, a clear demarcation between the state and the ruling party, as well as a judiciary free from political influence."
Who is afraid of young people?
"Young people have restored Serbian society's faith that public interest, justice and responsibility are still important," continues Ružić.
Their energy showed that apathy is not a permanent state and that there are generations that do not want to remain silent in the face of challenges that will shape their future. Students owe political loyalty to no one, and this independence is one of their greatest strengths.
And "a politician who is afraid of young people, their questions and their freedom, has already lost contact with society. The responsible government talks to them, while the responsible opposition listens to them".
Returning Serbia to the legal and constitutional framework
In order to gain power and be able to make decisions, Ružić would first "return to the government its constitutionally defined central role within the executive power."
Ministers would have to be accountable for their work, institutions would have to make decisions within their legally defined competences, and public administration would have to serve citizens, not political centers of power.
"I would form a government composed of professional and responsible people, with clearly defined goals and an obligation to account to citizens for the results achieved. Large state contracts and budget expenditures would be completely transparent, public companies would be managed by people elected on the basis of knowledge and results, and the judiciary would finally gain full independence from political influence," says Ružić.
And he reminds that the government must be led by the prime minister, that he must take responsibility and answer to the Parliament and the citizens, and that those simple constitutional principles should once again become a reality in Serbia.
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