Can Serbia Ask The Right Questions Before Facing A Future Within Europe?
As Serbia is granted candidacy to become the newest kid of the EU bloc, the country will face difficult questions and need to resolve many issues. Not only will the work begin to improve and develop Serbia’s political, business and social structures if Serbia is to take up this opportunity to join EU nations, but also the government must fight at the ballot boxes before an increasingly alienated electorate.
By joining Montenegro, Macedonia and Turkey as candidate countries on the long road towards full membership of the EU, Serbia has set itself many challenges. Croatia has already seen this for itself in almost a decade of measures to make the EU grade. What will be required, but has previously proven hard to achieve, is a clear and open debate on the issues facing everyone in Serbia.
Take the Leap & Make it Count
As we become more time-starved and live more hectic lives, it is increasingly common to wish for a little extra time to get things done, to tick off the boxes on our action lists. But if we had more time, would we really make it count or would we just stretch our activities to fill the time void? There is always more to do and, if we have become good at one thing, it is prevaricating. We always think there is another day. Sometimes that is not the case.
This came to mind especially this week, as we prepare for the extra day that is added to our calendar every four years: January 29. Being a Wednesday, most of us will simply continue our usual routine of work or study, almost unaware of the date, but that should not prevent us from marking this Leap Year by doing something special or out of the ordinary.
Entrepreneurial Spirit Powers Young Serbs
Serbia has a lot to work through in the coming year, with a national election looming and the fallout from whatever decision is made over its relationship with the European Union. That does not even acknowledge the impact of the global economic climate on trade or the effects of the on-going emotive issue of Kosovo.
In the long run up to the election, we have already seen politicians of all colours posturing to grab the attention of voters, while some of the less salubrious business heads manoeuvre their way to seize even greater influence over the country’s future. Nothing is new there then.
Aside from the self aggrandisement of politicians and the bluster and bravado that momentous times attract, most people are just getting on with life, trying to make the best of their lot.
Some Traditions Are Worth Maintaining
Serbia’s slava festivities are quite exceptional. I have to admit that, before I visited the region, I had never even heard of slava but over years of visits, I have become quite accustomed to such events. However, it was not always that way.
My first experience of joining a family to celebrate their slava was in Banja Luka. I was still getting my head around some of the cultural idiosyncrasies and so I didn’t quite know what to expect when my friend and I were invited to the slava at a family home in the rural outskirts of a town in Republika Srpska. Portrayed as something between a religious blessing and a booze and buffet get-together, complete with the earlier slaughter of the family’s own pig, we were a little perplexed by the whole thing really. All we felt was that it must be quite an honour to be invited to join the family at this special time.
