Historian: Serbs Overthrow Usurpers, This Lot Is Bottom of the Social Barrel

Milan St. Protic (PHOTOBETA/MEDIJA CENTAR BEOGRAD)

A historian, politician and former Serbian ambassador to the U.S., Milan St. Protic, disagrees with the idea that the Serbian people love to have firm-handed leaders, pointing out that the Serbs have been overthrowing the usurpers just because they had usurped power.

“No, we don’t like that. It’s not true. We were toppling our rulers throughout the 19th century, every time one of them went against his own rule. We removed them from power just because of that. Just because they’d usurped power,” Protic said for the Oct. 15 issue of the Nedeljnik weekly.

When asked about the current Serbian president, Protic said that Slobodan Milosevic “was important because he did a lot of harm,” which “this lot isn’t.” He called those in power in Serbia at the moment, “the bottom of the social barrel,” adding that this is “why their names are unimportant. Not even his [Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s], the one you’re inquiring about. He’s lightweight.”

Talking about the opposition, Protic pointed out that he had “made his name” without the RTS public service’s help. “That’s the message I’m sending out to those playing the opposition today. You don’t need RTS; that’s not at the core of your activity; it’s not how you come to power, nor how you overthrow those usurping it,” Protic said.

He also said he sees the opposition’s main demand, the access to media, as “wrong, since they’ll never get it.” “As long as this regime is in power, none of them [the opposition] will ever be on RTS. If it does happen, [the regime] will make them look like the worst people on the planet. That’s why you should look for alternative methods. What’s more, a true member of the opposition, if even invited, will decline to appear on RTS. Why show there at all?” asked Protic.