Yesterday afternoon was the debate The State of Europe.
Dutch politician Luuk Blom said that the Dutch position blocking the next phase for Serbia joining the EU is not because the Dutch are against Serbia or Serbians, but because rules are rules. In the case of Hongary and Bulgaria the rules were too easily loosened so that the two countries could join the EU and there has been serious backlash because of this decision among the Dutch population aimed at enlargement of the EU. According to Luuk Blom all that Serbia has to do is follow the rules, most importantly 100% cooperation with the tribunal in The Hague, and then the Dutch would be no further objection against Serbia joining the EU. Suggestions that the Dutch position had anything to do with Screbenica or Kosovo were denied by Blom.
Goran Svilanovic, former minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, could not understand why the Netherlands is so willingly taking a different stance than the others 26 member countries and therefore very much isolated. Blom said that he had nothing to do with those other countries and that he was only responsible for the Netherlands and that he had to do what is in the best interest of the Dutch population. Svilanovic tried to explain that the enlargement was the biggest and most succesfull peace project the world has ever known and that we are living in this world together, but it did not do much to change the position of Blom.
Blom was supported in his argument by the American foreign relations expert John Hulsman, who said that if you want to join a club, you have to listen to the rules of that club. He also said that Serbia has to acknowledge and adept to the changing situation in the world, that the EU was the best bet for Serbia’s future and that it was time for Serbia to act; it is in the hands of Serbia. According to Hulsman it is about time that Serbia stops being the victim, stops complaining and starts doing. Ljiljana Smajlovic , former editor in chief of Politica, was not necessarily opposing Hulsman’s argument, but she did disagree with the “reality has changed so should you” rationale. The way reality is perceived is the key point, but reality is always used in these exchanges of opinions as long as it serves the argument of the West and if it doesn’t Serbia is complaining and playing the victim.
Smajlovic also said that she is not an eurosceptic, that she is a great supporter of Europe and that she hoped that that did not mean that she could not be critical on the EU.
The debate was at times fierce and emotional. But all four speakers agreed on the fact that the future of Serbia is within the EU. What remains is the path to get there.
I would like to thank all four speakers for their excellent contribution Saturday and especially my co-host Jugoslav Cosic!
Posted by Wilbur Perlot
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December 2, 2008 at 11:59 am
[...] Posted by subjectiveatlas under 7. Publicity & Presentations During the debate ‘The state of Europe‘ in Dom Omladine the images for the ‘Subjective atlas of Serbia’ were presented [...]