Diary of an alderman

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The third month since I became a councilor is slowly passing Movement of free citizens u Assembly of the City of Belgrade. I am writing this text as a kind of report to the voters and sympathizers of the opposition - and why not - and to the voters of the government. I want them to know what the Movement of Free Citizens is, why we do what we do, that is, we have direct contact with citizens every day in all parts of the city, from parks to markets to the streets where they live. We try to listen to them all, see what the problem is and address it where it should be.

The next elections will come, people will vote again and they should take into account who was there for them when the city government did not do its job and did not listen to them. We want to show how it would all work if we were in power and we are trying to bring back the old approach to politics with a lot of personal contacts with citizens, and to add social networks as a modern asset. We know very well what the situation is with the media and it's not worth whining about anymore - we've returned to the good old stomping ground and added social networks as channels of communication with voters. We want to reach everyone, regardless of whether they are from the Old Town or from Sopot. No difference, same approach for all. If there is water for the residents of the city center, there must be water for the people in Sopot, Barajevo, Mladenovac. If there is water for individual residents of these municipalities, there must be water for everyone. There must be no privileged settlements or people. For us, everyone is equal.

Since we became councilors in the city and local assemblies in Belgrade, PSG councilors have conducted hundreds of conversations with people on the street, sent dozens of requests to institutions and have already made thousands of telephone conversations with citizens and institutions. We asked for the dismissal of several secretaries and directors of public companies, went out to the field to determine whether the promised Day Center for children with developmental disabilities was opened... We paved potholes and cleaned parks when the competent services did not do it. It may seem small to some, but it makes a difference to the people who live there. We try to be in daily contact with them and inform them about what has been achieved.

After all the actions we have had, we have established one thing unequivocally: after all the retumbling, removal and return of powers to municipalities, the city, public companies, creation of parallel companies, no one knows what exactly they are responsible for and absolutely everyone shifts responsibility to others. Institutions are not open to citizens, but with this behavior they want to discourage them from contacting them.

REFUGEE HAIR - NO EMPATHY FOR THE MOST ENDANGERED

Institutions have become places for political bribery, and not places where professional people work to solve citizens' problems. There have always been politicians in companies, but it was known that most positions must be filled by professionals. What is happening today, we could not even imagine. Therefore, I will guide the readers through several examples of what PSG councilors encountered in these almost three months of work. I don't have enough room for everyone, but this will be a sufficient indicator of how bad Belgrade is.

The first case we worked on was the fire on Bežanijska kosa, where our fellow citizens in the informal settlement of Antena lost their roof over their heads. We go there two days after the fire and find a situation that cannot be imagined in a metropolis. Children sleep on concrete in the middle of the street, and a four-week-old baby sleeps in a hot car because it's 40 degrees outside at that moment.

I personally go to the City Council on the same day to ask for a meeting with the President of the Assembly Nikodijević and Mayor Šapić (I keep informing people via Instagram and YouTube channel Stefan Simić - your councilman). Of course, security doesn't let me in because there is a protocol. A protocol that applies under regular circumstances while there is a serious emergency!

All this is unknown to them because they were born from citizens a long time ago. They don't appear anywhere, where they come the situation is strictly controlled. When citizens appear to ask a question, the mayor physically attacks them. The next day, I went to see the president of the municipality of Novi Beograd, who was not at her workplace but at a meeting in the city. The security didn't let me past the information desk, so I barely got the cabinet number. There, the lady from the office told me that they did everything within their competence (they didn't do anything concrete except to visit them). You guessed it, she referred me to the Secretariat for Social Protection.

There I appeared as Tihi iz Written off because I had to hide and sneak past security to get in to the employees. I succeed in my intention, I find an office that could give me some concrete answer. I got the information from two nice women who also say they did everything they could. They at least made an effort to provide something additional (to regularly empty the rubbish container set up by the City Cleanliness) and to provide a one-time financial aid through the Center for Social Work for families residing in the territory of Belgrade, they will see to the rest. The families received that help, the others did not. By the way, we are talking about internally displaced persons from Kosovo, they are not provided with a roof over their heads. The private person to whom I hereby thank paid an excavator to clear the garage and they rebuilt the barracks. It is a temporary solution because they had nowhere to go. The city remained mute to all the appeals we made, some through written requests, some through the media and social networks.

MEETING IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF VOZDOVAC

The following situation occurs on the territory of the municipality of Voždovac and in the municipality itself. The park I grew up in is in bad shape and hasn't been renovated in over 15 years. Not only is it neglected, but it has become unsafe for children. PSG councilors started a petition to clean up the park, we went door to door and talked to citizens. I take a look at the municipality's Instagram profile (they have banned the option of commenting, I don't know what they are afraid of) and I see that the president of the municipality has an open door every Tuesday. I send an email to sign up and follow the complete procedure - but don't lie down. That morning they try to explain to me that I didn't register properly (I did) and at my insistence we still agree that I will take my turn when they finish with all the other citizens.

The email explaining why I can't come is so full of spelling and style mistakes that I thought there was some kind of mistake. Unfortunately, it wasn't a mistake. I don't have enough space to explain what happens in the waiting room when a lady comes to whom the security guards try to explain that she cannot enter the municipal building dressed like that. Her argumentation surprised me, and then I realized how deep-rooted the problem is. She says that she is an activist of the party and that she comes to the stand properly dressed. I think, that's it. This is how they imagine the municipality as the local headquarters of the party.

When I walked into the first meeting, my suspicions were confirmed. Local officials who offer options for us to contact bookmakers to clean up the park mention Djilas, talk about how I attack them and yell at them. I think to myself, these people have forgotten what the opposition looks like. To my statement that some people unfortunately voted for us and that they cannot deny their existence, they respond with "unfortunately". That's what today's municipalities have turned into, buildings full of bureaucrats without any responsibilities.

Each subsequent meeting went much better and in a constructive conversation. I don't know what's causing it, but it's commendable. We managed to move some things from the deadlock - small movements, but at least we are not standing still. For example, the agreement was to patch a hole at the entrance to the building in Kumodraž 2. It was open for a year and threatened to swallow a car of its size. The hole was finally patched, but not paved. In the end, my colleagues from PSG and I asphalted one part and we are waiting to see if the authorities will finish it all the way. If not, we will do it ourselves together with the neighbors. They have lost hope in institutions, so we have to manage like this.

PASSING RESPONSIBILITY AS AN OLYMPIC SPORT

The most recent example that I want to share with you is the leakage of water from the sewer opening, also in the municipality of Voždovac. The water has been leaking for more than 15 days, the neighbors inform me that they have called the authorities and that no one is coming out.

I call Belgrade Waterworks and Sewerage (BVK) and they file an application and open a work order. Before that, I ask the municipality of Voždovac if they have registered, they say they have and they give me the number of the work order. Two days pass, I turn to BVK and they say that they are not competent and that we should call the City Housing Company.

I turn them over, get a new work order number. They go out on the field, they say they are not in charge, but it is certainly BVK. I turn them around again, with a lot of trouble and vicissitudes, they want to send the team again. The team arrived, but they will not work because they are responsible for sewage, not clean water. While I'm writing this text, I'm also calling BVK to see if they've found a team that can fix the problem if it's clean water. Half of the city does not have a regular water supply, and half of the city is leaking clean water. We try not to get lost in the Gordian knot of institutions and jurisdictions. We really feel like tennis balls passing between each other. Many things we do cannot fit into this text. There are many such examples that we have dealt with.

The movement of free citizens will continue to work like this in the future. We invite all citizens to contact us with their problems. We cannot promise that we will solve everything, but we will certainly listen to everyone and try to address the request to the right address.

The author is a councilor in the Belgrade City Assembly