Military Analyst: Army of Serbia Alienated from People, Treats Students, Media as Enemies

Promotional Ceremony for Army of Serbia Junior Officers (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

The military analyst Aleksandar Radic said on June 23 that the Army of Serbia was alienated from the people and that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's announcements about creating one of the most powerful armies in the world was a populist song and dance for the nation.

Radic told BETA that the Army of Serbia was being misused for political purposes and that a "caste" of 5,000 extremely well-paid members had been created within it, while the remaining members "merely get by and are irrelevant to the government."

"This government needs the Army as a prop for projecting an image of power. In its warped view of the world, the government believes that the student protests will die off over the summer and is therefore planning to celebrate its victory over the students with a tank parade in September. The other purpose of the Army is political protection. It remains unclear what military police and special unit officers were doing on March 15," Radic said.

Commenting on announcements by Vucic that after reforms the Army of Serbia would be one of the most powerful armies in the world, Radic said a strong military was needed, but that it should be an army for the people, not alienated as it is now. According to him, the leadership of the Army of Serbia treats people with different political beliefs as enemies.

"We have a military that in its analysis of the situation in the country uses the word 'enemy' for media outlets not to the government's liking, for students and anyone else who is not in line with the agenda of the party in power. That is the greatest danger for the country's security," he stressed.