A NEW YEAR'S KURIR INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT: He reveals what the Vučić menfolk never talk about and what relaxes him!

The President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić is often sombre and serious in his public appearances. In a New Year's conversation with Kurir, the head of state revealed what lies behind this façade.

Aleksandar Đondović and Branislava Majdarević

It's the holiday season and there is more time for family. What is your plan for the New Year's?

"I have never considered celebrations important. I hope to have a day or two for studying German and Russian and spending more time with my children."

Have you prepared the New Year's gifts for the children?

"I prepared a gift for Danilo a bit earlier. It's a good wine as, like his father, he likes wines. For Milica I have a valuable book and Vukan prefers toy helicopters. I don't know where to find a toy helicopter that he doesn't have already, but he'll surely be happy to get one."

Vukan is now at an age when children are acquiring things and they often surprise us with their antics. Is he a scamp?

"He's sweet, smart, and ever amiable and lovable, even when he's being a bit of a scamp. Since I don't see enough of him, he's never impish or mischievous to me."

Do you have any holiday rituals? Do you follow the old traditions? Which Christmas traditions do you and your family honour?

"We celebrate our family saint's day, Christmas, and Easter, as the most important Christian festival. Like most Serbian families, we follow the tradition in our celebrations, first-footer and all. Those are times for family gatherings. You can always feel a festive sort of atmosphere, but I think that the most important thing is that that's a time to show your love for your children and family, a time when you should be feeling at your best."

You have many duties and not as much time for your children as you would like. How do you spend your time with them?

"With Danilo I usually go to a wine bar. We have a bottle of wine and something good to eat. We mostly talk like friends, and only exceptionally as father and son. I have a lot to learn from Milica, as she is very strong, brave, dedicated, responsible, and will make good in life. As for Vukan, I enjoy playing with him. If there's a time when I smile, it's when he's jumping all over his dad screaming, 'Dad, I'm gonna beat you up like a cat and chicken! ' Whatever that means. [laughs]"

What sort of advice do you give to Milica and Danilo? They are at that age, so do they talk about personal matters? School, crushes, love?

"I'm a bit like the guy from the film Mi Nismo Anđeli (We Are Not Angels) so, as far as Milica is concerned, she cracks up when we touch on anything of the sort, because of my views. [laughs] While we're talking, sometimes we both think that we're joking, but other times it really resembles the scenes from the film. [laughs loudly] With Danilo I talk about serious things – what his life plans are, as well as other everyday topics, including the difficult ones. About work and such but, to be frank, least of all about emotional subjects. That's how the Vučić menfolk do it – we hardly ever discuss such things."

Are you a strict father?

"No. On the contrary."

You are very close to your brother Andrej now. How did you get along as children? Was there any rivalry between you two as boys? What are your memories of childhood?

"We'd be out the whole day. I think we fought every day until when we were about 11 or 12, and we've been inseparable since then. We love and respect each other, and talk many times every day. We don't hide the fact that we're close, it's as if we were twins."

Is there something that you surprise your associates with?

"Kindness. It really takes them by surprise!" [This answer made the president's media advisor, Suzana Vasiljević, laugh out loud.]

At this time of year most of us make the so-called New Year's resolutions. What are yours, personally and privately, leaving aside your work?

"I've learnt from Sheikh Tahnoun, brother of Sheikh Mohammed, to give myself each year three tasks that I can accomplish in the coming year, which are not strictly related to my work. One of the tasks I've set myself is to progress from the beginner level to an intermediate level in my knowledge of German. The second one is to keep working on my Russian. And the third … I need to think about it. I have until New Year's to set the third task, but I can say that I do plan to successfully complete year one of my studies at the college of vocational studies for basketball coaches."

How are your studies coming along?

"They're coming along well. The college is more demanding than I thought, and this is why I'd like to apologize to all the lecturers. There are many difficult courses and a lot to learn. I think I have increased my knowledge in various areas. I've passed two midterms each in all of the first five courses, and I have the exams in January. Then I'll be able to tell you more. But, I hope to be able to complete my studies in due time, in two and a half years, and then be able to coach kids. I've always wanted this, and I believe that in my old age I'll be in a position to make the wish from my youth come true."

What is it that you miss of the ordinary, everyday-life sorts of things, which your office has taken away from you?

"There are many, but it makes no sense to complain. I ran in the elections to win the people's trust, so the bitter complaints can wait until the end of my term in office."

What relaxes you personally? In addition to reading books, do you find the time to watch a TV series or a film? You like football, so what was the last thing that you watched?

"I watch both football and basketball, but I watch basketball more. I also follow volleyball, water polo, and handball, time permitting. The last thing I watched is unfortunately the match between Igokea and Red Star, with Igokea winning by 20 points. I knew Dodik was happy, and he knew that, even though I took defeat in a sportsman-like manner, it wasn't easy for me. I was really upset. What can you do, that's what sports are like. I watch football whenever I can, mostly the repeats on Arena. So, when there's a home game on, I usually cannot watch it live, but in a night-time slot when a repeat is on. That's how I watched the water polo cup games – at 5am – and sometimes they'd be broadcast on RTS 2. As for TV series and films, I don't watch them at all. I rarely see a film – once every three months; and I don't watch a single TV series. I don't follow anything and I'm ignorant about all the things that ordinary folks know about this. The one thing I have to keep myself updated on are the news programmes of all the regional stations and major global ones – US, European, Russian, and, whenever I can, Chinese ones as well. So, other than news programmes, I only watch sports, other sorts of things almost never."

What is the first place that you will take Vukan next year?

"To the Red Star Stadium."

We meant a city or a nice place abroad?

"Serbia is the most beautiful and Vukan has travelled around a lot anyway, there's no need for him to rush abroad. I'll stick with the Red Star Stadium."

Speaking of the professional domain, how do you see the past year? You often say that we have managed to save the economy despite being severely hit by the coronavirus.

"As for last year, we did several things that I am proud of. We will have the exact assessment on 31 January, but we can already make a flash assessment. Serbia will stand at -0.8 to -0.9 percent. It will be by far the best country in Europe in terms of GDP growth rate. Let me remind you we supported the companies in this country by means of a huge economic relief package and that, despite spending over six billion euros, the public debt - I mean the budgetary public debt – increased from 52.5 to only 57.5 (57.6). Keeping the public debt at that level amid the coronavirus crisis is virtually incredible. It's an exceptional success of Serbia, and I am proud of it. Furthermore, Serbia is among the first three countries in Europe to start a vaccination, using the US vaccine."

What other important things have been achieved?

"We built highways and opened them. At the moment, we are building four highways. We are working on the Kuzmin-Sremska Rača-Bijeljina highway, connecting Belgrade, Banjaluka, and Sarajevo. We are working on the Ruma-Šabac highway, the Morava Corridor, and, of course, the Čačak-Požega highway. We are preparing for building the Karađorđe Highway and a high-speed road to Požarevac. The construction part of the Belgrade-Novi Sad railroad is slowly drawing to a close, and we have also completed the gas line running from Bulgaria to the Hungarian border. Then we need to work on the secondary gas line, especially in the direction of Vranje and Valjevo. The east of Serbia as well – Bor, Zaječar, and any other town without gas. We are aiming to develop the gas infrastructure in Serbia, which I am especially proud of. We'll be working hard with the EU and the Chinese to introduce sewage systems, both sanitary and storm drain ones – plus wastewater purifiers and water supply facilities. That is a different Serbia, It won't be the same country anymore."

What can people hope for in 2021? Last year was one of the hardest years for the whole world. How has Serbia fared in the coronavirus crisis? What is your message for the people at the end of 2020?

"Here is what I would like to say to the citizens of Serbia: We have successfully finished this year, which has been hard and horrendous. We have been battling the coronavirus for almost 10 months, and the entire state administration, including myself as President, is engaged in this fight. For you it is no longer news when I speak to Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, or Vladimir Putin. This is now boring and isn't reported on, as it says good things about Serbia. We can mention those things with pride. A few days ago, an airplane from the Emirates landed, carrying equipment worth many millions of euros – MRI scanners, ventilators, and all the equipment needed for a whole Covid-19 hospital. We received this owing to our good relations and the successes of the Serbian state."

Will you be taking any further steps in relation to the elderly and the most vulnerable?

"I do have an idea. We'll try to obtain packages with vitamins C and D and zinc during the winter, and deliver them to the pensioners in about two or three months, so that they could boost their immune systems in winter. I don't think anyone else has done that except Hungary. We aim to strengthen the immunity of the elderly, as it is our grandmas and grandpas that are the most vulnerable. And here I would like to ask the younger population without other illnesses to take good care of the elderly, as they are fatally affected in 95 percent of the cases."

Given the circumstances, the healthcare system is the most fragile and the most exposed. What has been done there?

"Building two hospitals in four months – who in Europe has managed to do that? We have fewer deaths owing to that alone. Do you think it's possible to have fewer deaths than Croatia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, by the way, has five or six times fewer tests than us? As you know, if you're not testing, you cannot have the exact number of deaths, because you cannot officially say they are corona-related."

How is it that we have fewer deaths than Bosnia or Croatia percentage-wise?

"Because we are admitting everyone to hospitals. There are ten thousand people in hospitals at the moment. We are dealing daily with the issue of which medical doctors and nurses to transfer and how, in order to ensure that the system works. When someone is hospitalized, they stand better chances of surviving. We have built the infrastructure there as well – all the hospitals admitting people have been renovated during our term in government, in the past two or three years. The Dragiša Mišović Hospital, the Zvezdara and Zemun hospitals, etc. We supported the brainiacs at the Orthopaedic Clinic. Look at Dedinje 2 and the speed with which the construction work is being carried out, not to mention the Niš Medical Centre. Just look at how many new hospitals we're building. Prokuplje and the equipment there will cost us 30 million euros, but Prokuplje will have a fantastic modern general hospital. That is another living standard level. Moreover, we're raising salaries and pensions amid the coronavirus crisis. The average salary in October stood at 511.5 euros. That's the latest information I have, and it's official. On top of this, the net salary in Belgrade is 632 euros."

How big a jump is that compared to the period 2012-2016?

"In 2012, it was 339 euros. In real terms, 50 percent more. We have maintained the exchange rate of the dinar throughout, and have a stable dinar. This is the only period of time – these eight years – that we have had the same value of the dinar throughout."

You have been listing the results for quite a while now. What about the criticism that the state has fallen short with respect to the coronavirus and that the healthcare system is on its knees and about to collapse?

"When you criticise someone who is busy because he was a day or two late opening a hospital – and that is the harshest criticism that you can level – that makes me feel proud. Because it tells you what sort of difference we have made compared to those who haven't built a single hospital, or a single medical centre. Serbia is turning into a winner and that process is irreversible. A country that competes for the number one place in Europe, not just in basketball, volleyball, tennis, handball, or water polo, but also in economy, in the rate of progress. I can understand that some are bothered by this, but you have no answer to it when you look at the unemployment rate in Serbia, or our GDP, or the public debt. And I do understand the anxiety of those who invested hundreds of millions of euros though their tycoons just to tear everything down in Serbia, because they need government funds to be able to loot again and become richer. But in this area as well Serbia has moved irreversibly forward, and will not be returning to the age of tycoon rule and plundering money from the people."

You mention highways, the highest growth rate in Europe, new hospitals, salaries rising, and the stable exchange rate of the dinar. What are you most proud of?

"I'm proud of all these things. Twenty years from now, as you cross the Gazela or Branko's Bridge and take a look at the Belgrade Waterfront, everyone will know who built that. Whatever anyone says – without so much as a hint of personal interest except being proud of it – generations of people will remember that someone had the courage and the guts to stand up to all the liars and fraudsters who tried to stop all that is good. But, for me the thing of the greatest importance lies somewhere else. When I travel around Serbia and, as I'm passing by Niš, I see the seven factories for which I personally brought in the investors. When I'm travelling in the direction of Šid and Zagreb, Novi Sad and Subotica, or Pančevo, when you look at all these factories – they're the ones allowing us to build roads, railway tracks, and hospitals. And if I have to choose, then I'm the proudest of these factories, because without them there would be nothing. I'm also proud of the monument honouring Stefan Nemanja, commemorating the crimes committed against the Serbian people from the NATO aggression down to Operation Storm, and the first feature film on Jasenovac that has received state funding. Do you ever wonder why it is that we hadn't done that for 70 years? Because, whenever you said that to someone, there would be a power structure that would never allow a film on crimes against Serbs to be made, especially on the subject of Jasenovac. It was as if there was a wall of silence, or an agreement that no one would take part in that."

ON THE ATACKS AGAINST HIS FAMILY AND ATTEMPTS TO RACKETEER HIM

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Does this have anything to do with the debates related to selecting this film as the Serbian submission for the Oscars?

"I don't know enough about film quality, but I am sure, as I know the scriptwriters – Mrs Drakulić and Dragan Antonijević – that they have done a very good job. I'm only talking about the topic here. Perhaps there lies the reason why Jasenovac could never be submitted for the Oscars or made into a story. Perhaps someone is truly bothered by this, or it could also be something else, but I won't get into that. I'm truly happy and proud that such a film was made with the help of the Serbian state."

When will you take the vaccine? The prime minister took the Pfizer jab. Would you rather get the Russian or the Chinese one?

"It doesn't matter, whichever comes next. I believe in the vaccine, as it has saved the world. I will take any one. For us, the most important thing is to vaccinate around two million people, first and foremost the most vulnerable groups. It is up to our authorities to decide when the Russian and Chinese vaccines will be approved. But that cannot happen before the Chinese register their vaccine in their own country. We will be successful in the vaccine search efforts, that I can promise to the people."