President Vučić takes oath of office

"Ladies and gentlemen, Your Holiness, dear President, dear Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, dear President of Republika Srpska, distinguished representatives of religious communities, dear friends,  distinguished Presidents of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, your Excellencies, Presidents of the Constitutional Court and of the Supreme Court of Cassation, Prime Minister, members of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Prime Minister of the Provincial Government of the AP Vojvodina, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, there is no greater honor, bigger obligation, nor bigger pride than the one given by a fact that you lead your country, nor a nicer duty of representing it proudly.

 

I got all that- obligation, duty, honor and pride, from the citizens, in the elections. They are expression of a will and a convincing majority, which indebted me and most of us again to do our job not always in a way that majority wants, but to do everything that is in the best interest of Serbia.

 

I want to be a President of all and President for all; to be the first one when it comes to liabilities and the last one when it comes to privilege, to work more, and not ask anything for myself, but to ask everything, absolutely everything for our Serbia. 

 

 

The great Confucius said that one can make compromise on anything except on ideals, and this is something I intend to follow; and my ideal is Serbia and wellbeing of its citizens. At the same time, this also determines the priorities of my second tenure, the ones that, it seems to me, had been public and loud even before I took my oath, and which read as follows: peace, stability, independent decision-making, Serbia’s freedom, security, health, Europe, work, work and work.

 

Serbia is and it will be- to paraphrase Marcus Aurelius, the emperor, philosopher, precisely that, and only that, what we make of it. It is a product of our thoughts, our dreams and our deeds; our ideal, our goal, our consciousness, knowledge about where we both geographically and historically are and great care never to confuse- like it has happened to us so many times in history, history and reality, geography and reality, our wishes and reality.

 

Today I have the honor, but also the paramount obligation to address you as the President whose second term begins at turning point of modern history. There is no more difficult, but neither more sublime duty than this one I take today, for the second time. And there are no more demanding goals, but nor more honorable than the goal of Serbia’s continuation on its path, a unique one, towards the future it had deserved long ago with its sacrifices and deprivations. 

 

I take presidential duty in times where the basic premise - throughout the entire world almost, is that rudeness and bad behavior are acts of courage, while calmness and patience are the reflection of fear. We live in times when everybody speaks out loud, while only a few listens, and even fewer hear. Voices of reason are getting quieter, and the vision of the future of the entire mankind is blurrier and more distant. 

 

 

Today, more than ever, the entire world is hungry for truth and justice. The same justice that is woven into the first lyrics of our beautiful national anthem that still stands as an imperative without which there is no progress either for a dignified man or the entire world. I will always fight for such a truth and such a justice, because there is no more difficult, but neither more honorable path than the respective one.

 

The world may never be the same again, but I want to emphasize a fact that at least we will try to stay strong, self-confident and decisive in our observance of principles; as a country we will continue working for general good, while we take courageous steps forwards despite all the perils, just like we have done so far.

 

Therefore, there isn’t a word big enough for our Serbia, which has always stood on cross-roads of different civilizations, religions and cultures, which enriched it in the best possible way, which encourages us to look after that heritage today, even stronger, firmer and more decisive than ever before. Likewise, paths of interests and ambitions, conquering and withdrawal of the others have intertwined through us since ever, but also paths of our victories and defeats that left deep scars on the entire existence of Serbia. Many came to us without respect and consideration and left with hidden or open admiration for our small, but so great nation and our small, but so proud Serbia.

 

Just like this Miroslav Gospel, our country had a strange and difficult historical path. Serbia’s generations grew stronger through the most difficult moments during long centuries, often alone, but always standing tall. Precisely those generations that had shown throughout history the incredible human, monarchical, artistic, military, moral and spiritual heights, they had woven this unbreakable, freedom loving, sometimes defiant spirit into all future generations of our nation. 

 

 

To put this in concrete terms: the world is dramatically changing before our eyes on a daily basis, never more so and never faster. Attack against Ukraine is a turning point in international relations. On one side, Russia wanted the end of domination of- the way one may say, the western and hard and soft power, prevention of further NATO extension; the great China does not want the status quo, i.e. the intangibility of western power and lack of influence all the others, while, on the other hand, the West wants preservation of their own domination in the world, at the same time calling to violation of international public law, by both Russia and their other adversaries, such as the People’s Republic of China.

 

It is true that the attack against Ukraine is a violation of international public law, but it is also true that it happened dozens of times in the modern world, and that the key protagonists and today’s big fighters for observance of international public law norms were often western powers, as well. Nevertheless, we here, in Serbia, can confirm the aforementioned in the best possible way. Our country was attacked in 1999, without the decision by the United Nations Security Council, and before that, our country had not occupied any other territories. After that, our country suffered additional plundering. Despite the existence of the Resolution 1244 and existence of the respective Resolution in legal terms, we are still being plundered by those who claim to be right, and if we, by any chance, say that we think differently, from that very moment they say that we are no longer for the future, that we are not acting democratic enough, that we do not understand the current moment, but, instead, that we deal too much with the past. If someone else did something like this, he would immediately be someone who breaches the international public order, someone who undermines all the institutions and world peace.  

 

I am proud of Serbia today, which acts in accordance with the principles of international public law; which can condemn the breach of international public law, unambiguously and clearly. But I am also proud of Serbia with neither anti-western, nor anti-Russian sentiment. We welcome Dostoyevsky and Shakespeare, Goethe and Hemingway. This is something Serbia can be proud of; despite it may be the one of the few countries in the modern world to do so.

 

I have said all this not because it is possible to take pragmatic demands of acting, but to save our soul as the President of Serbia and to say what lies in my heart, just like all other citizens of Serbia allow themselves to. And, do not think that I do not know what you all know. I do know it; I often know it better than anybody else. I often see and feel it better than anyone else. But it does not solve our problem; and it will not solve a single problem in the future. Politics of running a country is not a politics of wishes, but the politics of possible; the politics of reality. 

 

 

I spoke for seven hours with one of the biggest European leaders today; I guess that a man wanted to listen to me and I felt the need to say everything that was on my soul; to say out loud how we Serbs feel when we see what had been done to us regarding Kosovo and Metohija and regarding all other issues in the Balkans.

 

He listened to me carefully, this great leader, much wiser than me, with much more knowledge; he’s leading a big country…, and sometime around 3 o’clock in the morning he told me: “Let’s summarize now, Aleksandar.” So, I said: “I’m listening to you, my dear friend.” And, then he said:” I do not agree on everything with you, but let’s say that you are 80%, maybe even 90% right regarding things that you said. And now what? You are leading a country; you are the President of a country; you are smart enough to know that regardless of the injustice- and there is so much injustice in the world, there are some things that will never change. You cannot change the opinion of my country. We can have regrets later, but we will never admit that, because the big ones do not admit. There are no tears of regret and mistakes for us, they are meant for you, small countries. What remains is to see what you can do and save your country in the future. What remains is to see what you can do to ensure the future for young generations in your country; what you can accept as a reality and what we can make together.”

 

This was the first time I heard a western leader to say somehow, not directly, by yet again somehow:” All right, we are not always absolutely happy for what we did in the past, but you must accept that.”

 

At least we got something; I got some kind of personal satisfaction that night, which, of course, means nothing for our country. But this great lither was right when he said that we had to be committed to our future; that we had to warry about our future, to see what we would do with our children, because it is not up to them to pay neither debts of our generation, nor the debts left to us by our parents, grandparents nor anybody else. We have to leave to them a situation for the future that is as clear as possible, so that they need not to think who they will wage wards against and what kind of instabilities and problems they might face.

 

Precisely in reference to that, I would like to say that I look forward to new legislature of the Parliament; I hope that all election-related activities will be over soon and I do not even want to respond to those who were making meaningless claims about me choosing in front which legislature of the Parliament I would take my oath, because I became the President of 31 May and this was the only day when I could take oath. But, what one can do, because no matter what I do sometimes, and no matter how I do it, it would never be good enough or bad enough to make everybody happy. 

 

 

Formation of the new Government is, I’d say, of crucial importance and having in mind our current situation, a difficult one, already today all of us together have to think about it. I cannot do it by myself, even though I got the big support from the citizens; it takes the Government to do that, and it will of course be done stronger by the Government with full legitimacy, and not by the technical Government.

 

We have to deal with new sanctions and all kinds of things, where we, yet again, could be damaged party, so we will have to ask our European partners to help us in that matter, but is now more of a question for therm. Precisely in accordance with the aforementioned, I expect the new Government to be formed by the end of July, and I would be happy to start intensive consultations with representatives of all political parties in the country that won the threshold for the National Assembly, as soon as the new legislature of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia is appointed.

 

I want to say that I am convinced that the new Government will accept some of the advices and my pleas. I believe that the new mandate-holder will make the decision to make the Government inclusive minority wise; that we will involve as much representatives as possible not only coming from Serbian people, but to have also Hungarians, Bosniaks, Croats and Roma in that Government, as well as representatives of all nationalities that wish well to this country and those who have only one homeland or one motherland, and that is Serbia, whom they endlessly love, as much as we who plan to live here love it; as well as they and their children love it.

First I want to thank all representatives for the respective; I do not even like to say formally and in legal terms, I don’t even know whether that is the appropriate expression- representatives of national minorities, but I’d say people, lovely citizens, nations that do not belong to the majority nation, but who have always stood by Serbia, and shared the good and the bad with us, and resolved together with us all the troubles and problems we faced. 

 

 

What I expect from the next Government, but what I will pay special attention to as the President is number one- our European path. And now, pardon me, since I know that this is something people would not applaud to, I would give the biggest room for the respective. Sometimes, I like to be spiteful, grumpy, sometimes snappy, but not for the sake of myself or because I need any points for that, quite the contrary, one loses points on that, but because I think that I am doing the right thing for Serbia.

 

When we speak about Europe, it serves us as a buzzword; it became some sort of a mandatory mentioning, but also something that we can easily criticize, attack every day, but yet again, when the afternoon or evening comes, we start thinking how much support and help we will be able to ask for tomorrow.

 

No matter how rightfully we say that they are not always fair with us, and I do not thing that they are always fair with us, particularly when it comes to political demands, we too are not fair with them. It is easy and nice for us to take the money of the EU tax payers and we feel so good even if do not say “thank you” for that.  

 

It is easy and nice to accept what suits us, and what we like, but it is not easy and nice to listen to the words of criticism when we dislike something.

 

The European Union must not be a buzzword term; it must not be something that has become a part of vocabulary just like that, but it must be our commitment. Precisely because of the trade exchange, investment, but because of a fact that we want to belong to that type of society, we will have to do many things in the field of rule of law, further democratization of our society, media freedom and everything else.

 

Of course that they overreact when that say that a different opinion cannot be heard; of course that they sometimes use it for their political needs, but it is also true that we as well can always do better, and not because of them, but because of us. 

 

 

This brings me to -what I swore on today, the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, the key political issue for us and that is the issue of Kosovo and Metohija. Related to the Ukrainian crisis, the issue of Kosovo and Metohija will be even more visible and even more difficult for us to resolve it. No matter what you are being told, by anyone; no matter what anyone from the west tells you, Kosovo and Metohija will be bigger and more important topic and precisely because of what President Putin has spoken about recently.

 

They will tell you that this is not the way the things are and that Kosovo is not even similar to some other examples worldwide, and they will keep repeating it viciously. The more they repeat it, the more it troubles them. And that is why we will be challenged.

 

I apologize for telling the truth to everybody; both to you here, in this room, and to those who listen to this.

 

Do you really think I am that naïve when you tell me ten times that this does not concern you and that this is not a problem for you, and thereby you try to sell it to me, political veteran? I see how much it hurts you. Then you can imagine how much it hurts us; how much it hurts this country; how much this hurts Serbian man; how much it hurts everyone in this country. We have to listen about pressures every day just for you to meet your interests, thereby not thinking for a second about our interests.

 

We have a problem here and also because we do not have anyone at all to talk to in our wish to reach compromise; in our wish to search for compromise.

 

I also know that nobody in Serbia wants to hear this, but we have to search for compromise. We have to fight for compromise. We have to keep safe our people in Kosovo and Metohija. We have to take care of the lives of our people, our elderly ones, their children and children of their children who still live in Kosovo and Metohija, who still love Serbian flag, who still speak Serbian language. That is why we have to search for compromise.

 

Today, when we speak about the respective, they do not comply with the verdicts of their authorities to bring back to Visoki Decani what belongs to Visoki Decani, and nobody is worrying too much about it.

 

For the first time we saw the press statement from the Quint who sincerely criticized the position of Albanian potentates in Pristina not to allow Serbs to declare they will in the Presidential and Parliamentary elections of Serbia. It lasted for half a day. A day later, they could continue doing everything they had been doing, because they will always have their support and no one should have any illusions in that regard. 

 

 

Then, we come to a related issue. How much understanding we can encounter and how much rational acceptance of our arguments we can encounter when we say: “Well, wait a minute, you expect us to make equally strong commitments against the Russian Federation?” Now, put aside all our traditional relations, put aside everything else; put aside that we do not have problems with gas supply, with supply security, that we have good relations; put all that aside , and people, how can you, on one side, keep saying every day about territorial integrity, about protection of territorial integrity as a supreme principle of international public law, and then you tell us: ” You, Serbs, forget about observing the supreme principle of international public law, but make sure to refer to the Russian Federation even worse than we do, for everything that is happening worldwide.” And, it’s not a problem that they will not be on your side at the United Nations Security Council regarding your territorial integrity, because it is good for you to forget about your own territorial integrity.

 

I am only asking representatives of those countries to be a bit fair with Serbia and say: “We do understand your difficult position, but, no problem, we are pushing you into that.” This is the language that we can understand. It does not mean that we will obey, but this is the language that is far less hypocritical than the one saying that this is justice, and that this is just and fair, because if it had been just, fair and if it had been justice, you wouldn’t have devastated and you wouldn’t keep devastating territorial integrity of Serbia the way you had done it.

  

I know, fortunately or unfortunately, what it is that people like and I return to this again and repeat to you, I said this to save my soul, so that you know that I have one, as I know that many think that I do not, and I tell you that I happen to know these things better than most, but tomorrow we must have enough fuel, we must have enough food, we must have new hospitals, we must have new factories and we must maintain the best relations with our western partners and remain firmly, solidly, persistently and strongly on the European path.

 

The new government needs to be formed quickly, also because it is necessary for us to deal urgently, urgently with the coming winter and the supply of Serbia, above all, with energy sources. The situation is alarming and that is why it is important that we form the Government as soon as possible, so that we can dedicate ourselves to this, so that we can allocate a lot of money and provide security for the citizens of Serbia during the upcoming winter. 

 

 

We have stable public finances thanks to the entire Government, the Ministry of Finance, the National Bank of Serbia, thanks to good work, stability, which we have maintained all the time. It is of great importance for us to preserve that stability. 

 

Food. We have enough and we will have enough. All attempts to destabilize the Serbian market will fail because we are never deceiving. We never lie when we say that we have enough sugar, oil, wheat, sunflower, corn and everything else that is necessary for a normal and decent life.

 

There are big and key, essential, reform tasks in front of Serbia, which will be painful for many - from the new and much more serious and responsible energy policy, to education and science, which needs be the essence, the pillar of Serbia's progress in the future. I would especially like to ask the Government not to be afraid of the reactions regarding the wider, more comprehensive and convincing, more convincing introduction of dual education in our educational system, because everyone was running away from this. It is easiest to only wait for the next salary and see how much money the Ministry of Finance can provide, without realizing how much we lag behind Germany, Austria, Switzerland and how much, in fact, we are not ready to change ourselves, but we are ready to change everyone else.

 

We will continue, because the state must continue to invest in health care, because health care is becoming one of the pillars of both the development and survival of our nation. Further digitalization, development of robotics, artificial intelligence, but also care for climate change and environmental protection. We have many partners, from Norwegians to the EU and the United States, with whom we have entered into significant projects in the field of energy security, safety and environmental protection, which need to be deepened.

 

As for the issue of our army, as the supreme commander, I will try to make our army, through my authority, stronger, to be the guarantor of security, peace, safety and stability.

 

We have heard countless times in the past months that Serbia will allegedly attack someone, that the Serbian army will threaten someone. They lied for days, weeks, as long as this crisis in Ukraine has lasted, for ninety-six days. For ninety-six days, every day you could read those lies a hundred times and in a hundred places. And after ninety-six days, no one has yet apologized to us. Nobody has told us yet - sorry we lied from day one. And I thank Serbia for acting as a pillar of stability and for never endangering anyone, and for never asking for anything from anyone, except for asking to be its own, to have the right to keep its freedom, its sky and land, alone, without anyone's help. 

 

 

I am convinced, dear friends, that Serbia will jealously guard its military neutrality. We are not politically neutral. We are on the European path and we know our obligations, but we must preserve our military neutrality. Everywhere around us are either NATO countries or territories where NATO is located. There is no territory, entity, country next to Serbia, other than Serbia, which is not in NATO.

 

Serbia is like a small island and some usually say or cite it as a problem. But let me tell you, what is the problem with trusting your people, trusting the heroic gene of your citizens that we were and will be able to protect our country and that we do not want to belong to any military bloc, that we just want to have the right to guard our borders, to guard our country, to have our soldiers and to protect our skies?

 

Today, Serbia also has more financial strength to guard its country than it had before. And Serbia today would no longer be easy prey for anyone, as we, unfortunately, despite our big heart, were easy prey in 1999.

 

And that is something I am proud of. So we are not attacking anyone, we do not endanger anyone, but I guarantee you one thing, and that is that no one will dare and no one, so easily as before, satisfying their geopolitical interests, will dare to go against Serbia, not because someone loves us or does not love us, and not only because today they do not have the interests they once had, but because Serbia is stronger. And it is stronger thanks to the people and citizens of Serbia who invested in their army, who believed in their army and who know that the path of neutrality is the path to the future for the Republic of Serbia and for our citizens.

 

What is also important is that salaries and pensions will grow, and inflation must not eat this away. Imported inflation, mostly imported inflation, must not eat away their incomes, because we fought for a better standard of living for the citizens, and the Government will have to work hard on that issue and ensure that pensions keep up with salaries.

 

And what is also important, and without which we have no future, and what we are all talking about, let me to joke a little at our expense. We, all of us, when we appear on television, all of us, all of us presidents, prime ministers, ministers, all analysts, all critics, all of us, whoever shows up, always goes and says: “Look, our villages are deserted”. Come on then, go back to the village. Come on, go to the village. In the end, you realize that we enjoy living in the cities quite a bit. We live in cities, naturally. All over Europe, all over the world, this is a trend and it will not change. And people who live in the city are not worse than those who live in the countryside and vice versa, people who live in the countryside are not worse than those who live in the city. And with all our efforts, and with all that we have done, it will be difficult for us to change that trend.

 

And then you hear from the same side the talk about how many children we have, there are not enough children, they say, we have no one to leave the country to. And then, whatever you say on the subject, you will be the subject of criticism, because they will tell you that you have offended someone because you want to encourage natalist or pro-natalist policy, because you have denied someone a right. Don't get upset. Today, we are much better off, and television shows and newspaper articles about pets are more popular than those about children.

 

I am sorry that I have to tell you this as the President of Serbia, I am sorry that no one else has the courage to say that, because they know that they will be lynched. I have been lynched hundreds of times and I have no problem with that. Pets are wonderful. Both the dog, and the cat, and the parrot, and the horses, whoever has them in the country, are wonderful, you love each of them in your own way, but we humans cannot survive, we have no future if we do not have more children. We would have no future, you can say what you want, our country would not survive. 

 

 

Therefore, I expect the Government to continue with measures to stimulate the birth rate. And this is not meant as an insult to anyone. There are people who cannot have children, there are people whose choice is not to have children, but we, as a society and a state, need to make sure that we have those who will extend the life of the state. A state without citizens cannot exist.

 

And let me return again, I will say a few more words about the neighbours and what we should do.

 

What we have achieved in the previous period is very important to us. We have the closest and best possible relations with our Hungarian friends, I mean with the Hungarian state, the closest, historically closest relations, and that is something we must preserve and foster. We also have very good relations with Romania and Bulgaria, in the wider region and with Greece and Turkey. Owing to the Open Balkan initiative, which I will advocate and fight for with all my heart, we probably have the best relations in history with North Macedonia and Albania.

 

I would especially like to thank the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije for the very wise decisions he made and thus further contributed to the friendship and brotherhood we have with the Macedonian people. It is something that history, Your Holiness, will judge, not a daily report.

 

Thanks to you and thanks to the policy we pursued, today Serbia is the most popular country in North Macedonia, among their population, today we feel them as brothers and we do not have any problems in those relations and that is a great thing we managed to do.

           

Our relations with Albania have been ever better, stronger, and firmer. What we will have to pay a lot of attention to are our relations with Zagreb, with Croatia, and to try to change a lot of things, to finally agree that we do not see anything from the past in the same way, that our views of the past are not the same, that they are different, but that we should try to find the same glasses and the same binoculars to look at the future through, and see what we can do together. The doors of Belgrade and the gates, and the doors of the Presidency, will always be open for a good dialogue and conversation with Zagreb. 

 

 

I expect the same with political Sarajevo, but they need to know that we will always protect the interests of public international law, those are the interests of Serbia, adherence to the Dayton Agreement, adherence to the Constitution of BiH, respect for the integrity of BiH, but that we will always demand that there is no change in the Dayton Agreement without the consent of all three peoples and that we will, understandably, stand side by side with the Republika Srpska, further develop our relations, whenever we can and if we can help the Republika Srpska, we are not ashamed of that, and we do not endanger anyone because of that, because we will try to lend everyone a hand of support, a hand of unity and a hand of help.

 

People used to say, my father is from the other side of the Drina, and I happen to have been born in Belgrade, and Serbs on the other side of the Drina have always said that people in Serbia could never understand how much the Republika Srpska loved Serbia.

 

I would say today, especially to our guests from the Republika Srpska, that they should have no doubt about how many people in Serbia love the Republika Srpska, and that it is not any less than the love of the Republika Srpska for Serbia.

 

What is important for us is that we build good, friendly and close relations with Bosniaks, despite all the political differences, despite the fact that sometimes someone does not want to accept an extended hand. We also have to do that because of the large number of Bosniaks living in our country. The events from Priboj must never happen again.

 

I will tell you just one thing from which you can best see how much these people love their country. After 37 years, as we managed to build networks of highways, railways, hospitals, factories after many decades, after 37 years we managed to bring two gold medals from the European Boxing Championship, but one medal we did not manage to bring.

 

I will tell you about this man from Prijepolje, his last name is Mamić or Memić, he won’t mind, he is a Bosniak, who fought so hard for Serbia, with all of his heart, it was a competition in Yerevan, I wish you could see it. And whenever he brought a medal, he would wear the flag of Serbia with pride. We should be proud of our Bosniak brothers and all those who are fighting for this country and build that future together with them.

 

Now, I would like to add, in a typically Serbian manner, to spice it up, because we can't do without it, Serbs just need to come up a conspiracy theory, that the judges robbed him in the fight for a medal, and made the decision in a vote that he lost that match.

 

We cannot change the whole world, we can only accept it as it is and seek our place in it. What we can do, what we want to continue, is to change ourselves, to build our country, in every sense to build it, in every field of science, education, health, economy, infrastructure, sports, culture. 

 

 

We will also raise buildings, because, according to Ivo Andrić, they not only change the appearance and significance of the area in which they are located, but also have deep biological ties with the people who use them. There is an intimate and invisible connection between buildings and human settlements, a complex and vague, but constant exchange of mutual influences. Through the deeds of their individuals, people create buildings reflecting their deepest, often unconscious aspirations and characteristics, and those buildings are slowly and constantly influencing the character and habits of the people. We are becoming better, the great writer told us, by building ourselves and our country. This applies not only to structural buildings, but to everything we have built and to everything we have yet to build.

 

That is the key goal to which I will dedicate this mandate, my last one, so that when I leave this place, I know that Serbia is a better country than it was when I got here. There is no sacrifice that I will not make for the sake of that goal, and there are no things that I will not do, an effort that I will not be ready for. Because there is no compromise with ideals and that is the only thing with which there can be no compromise. Everything else is subject to compromises and compromise is one beautiful, not ugly word. In the end, this is precisely because my only ideal is Serbia.

 

By placing my hand on the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and Miroslav Gospel, I take on the burden of great responsibility. This is not only a responsibility towards this generation of Serbian citizens, but also towards the great predecessors, and especially towards the generations to come. As the great Njegos said: “Later generations judge deeds”.

 

 I live in the belief that our policy will withstand the test of time and that future generations, deprived of the emotions that immediate participants and contemporaries always and inevitably have, will objectively evaluate, from a safe historical distance, our time as a time of stabilization and rise of Serbia.

 

Before I finish, dear friends, I want to thank everyone. I also want to thank you here, from this convocation of parliament or the old convocation of parliament, because you have brought great and important changes for Serbia. You are the ones who dared to say - we do not want all the power in our hands, we want an independent judiciary. You were the only one who dared to say that and do it. You passed the most important laws, in order to save the people in the time of COVID You adopted the most important measures when Serbia needed to be financially protected and preserved. You have done a lot of good for our people and citizens. It is history that will be the judge, not someone on a daily basis. 

 

 

I want to thank all the former presidents of the Republic of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, who have made a huge contribution to the progress of our country, who know what the state is, who with their presence today show that one who once knows what the state is, never forgets duty and does not forget what the state is and always adheres to the basic principle that the state and the interests of the state need to be more important than personal interests. Therefore, I thank you all for being here today and you have my endless respect for all that you have done for our country.

 

I want to thank you, dear friends from the Republika Srpska. I have worked with you a lot, Željka, Mile, in the past five years, we have done a lot of good things for our people, it seems to me. We have certainly also made mistakes. Thank you for sometimes tolerating my different views, for being able to understand that we do not have to have the same opinion on every issue, but we knew what our goal was, and that is the well-being of our Serbian people, and always the well-being of the Republic of Serbia and the Republika Srpska. Thank you for tolerating me.

 

Thank you, Your Holiness, for always being with our people, for always being there to share both the good and bad.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family, who have not had an easy time in the past five years. I don’t want to complain, because it will not be any easier for them in the next five years either, I just want to tell Danilo, Milica and Vukan that I love them endlessly and that their dad could not do anything without them.

 

Because of all the above, I will pray to God in the same way as the wonderful Rebecca West did while the Nazi bombs were falling on her homeland: God, let me behave like a Serb! Long live Serbia!" 

 

Belgrade, 31st May 2022