SERBIA: FORMER RADICAL NIKOLIC FORMS PROGRESSIVE PARTY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BELGRADE 001072 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SR SUBJECT: SERBIA: FORMER RADICAL NIKOLIC FORMS PROGRESSIVE PARTY REF: BELGRADE 928 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Former Radical and Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) leader Tomislav Nikolic gave his first press conference on October 8 outlining SNS principles, which include engaging countries that recognize Kosovo independence. The SNS is steadily gaining support among the rank-and-file of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS),despite continued attacks from Nikolic's former SRS associates and cold responses from other parties on the Serbian right. While some of Nikolic's statements (such as his claim that the SNS aspires to be a decent part of the center-right, and his avowed support of a European future) are encouraging, so far they remain mostly rhetoric designed to make him appear more housebroken to Europe and the United States. The real test will be whether Nikolic unveils a policy statement that rejects the policies of the Radicals, including the drive for a Greater Serbia and active opposition to the Hague War Crimes Tribunal. He will have a chance to do so at the SNS founding convention on October 21. End Summary. Confident Nikolic Assembling Support -------------- ¶2. (U) At an October 8 press conference in Belgrade, former Serbian Radical Party (SRS) Deputy President and leader of the "Forward Serbia" parliamentary faction Tomislav Nikolic discussed his plans to launch the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) at a party congress on October 21. Flanked by SNS supporters including former SRS General Secretary Alexander Vucic, former SRS-affiliated members of Parliament, writer and columnist Brana Crncevic, and law professor Oliver Antic, Nikolic expressed optimism that the SNS would take power in Serbia within a year. Nikolic listed his priorities as leading a progressive Serbia that protected national interests, created a better life for citizens, acted as a bridge between East and West, and cooperated with all countries that did not recognize Kosovo independence. Nikolic added, however, that the SNS would be ready for "tough discussions" with countries that recognized Kosovo's independence. Notably absent from Nikolic's comments at the press conference was any reference to a Greater Serbia policy, although he had mentioned it in press interviews after his split with the SRS. ¶3. (U) Nikolic announced that the SNS had collected the signatures of 10,000 citizens to date and expected 50,000 supporters by October 21, which would be the basis for local branches in every Serbian municipality. He also informed the press that he had invited the leadership of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and New Serbia (NS) to discuss the formation of an opposition bloc. Nikolic stated that NS leader Vladimir Ilic had accepted the invitation while DSS had not responded. The SNS was further buoyed by a poll released after the press conference by Strategic Marketing that showed the SNS receiving 21% support of all voters compared to 28.9% for the DS and 7.2% for the SRS. (Comment: The SRS and SNS numbers combined however, still add up to less than their showing in the May 11 elections. End Comment.) ¶4. (SBU) The press conference capped a week of intense publicity for the SNS split. SNS spokesman Nejbosa Stefanovic told reporters on October 2 that about 75% of former SRS members and local boards had joined Nikolic's movement, though post has been unable to confirm this figure. Nikolic told the daily paper "Blic" on October 4 that the SRS would effectively no longer exist by the end of that week. On October 6, in a widely anticipated move, former SRS General Secretary Alexander Vucic announced on Pink TV that he would join the SNS as Nikolic's deputy. Though Vucic announced that he would withdraw from public life when announcing his resignation on September 14, our contacts tell us that Vucic has been quietly drafting the SNS party platform over the past few weeks. ¶5. (SBU) There are also signs that SNS is gaining access to financial resources to support the party. According to one well-placed credible journalist, Serbian tycoons Miroslav Miskovic and Milan Beko are keeping SNS well-funded. Other observers and diplomatic contacts claim that Nikolic is receiving support from French donors and is currently negotiating with one of Germany's party foundations for an assistance package. (Comment: A representative of France's National Front Party had campaigned for Nikolic both during this year's presidential and local elections. End Comment.) Taking Heat from SRS, Seselj -------------- ¶6. (U) The growth of Nikolic's movement has been met with harsh reaction from SRS quarters. SRS deputies have been repeating many of the claims that were heard immediately after the split, such as Nikolic being on the payroll of intelligence services and assisting BELGRADE 00001072 002 OF 003 ICTY. SRS President Vojislav Seselj weighed in on the public debate when his September 8 memo to the SRS Central Fatherland Board appeared as a paid advertisement in the local daily "Kurir" on October 1. The rhetoric later turned more personal with SRS deputy leader Gordana Pop-Lazic claiming that Nikolic was "crying on my shoulder when he had problems with his mistress." SRS deputies seized on press reports of Nikolic's meeting with the Ambassador to derisively label Nikolic's followers as "Munter's witnesses." The Ambassador had met with Nikolic -- at the latter's request -- to discuss Nikolic's plans to create a modern center-right European party. ¶7. (U) The SRS has also begun to push the dispute with Nikolic into the courts. The SRS on October 13 filed suit against Nikolic and Banca Intesa at the Trade Court in Belgrade claiming that Nikolic improperly signed a four-year loan agreement worth roughly 630,000 on behalf of the party without the approval of the Central Fatherland Board. SRS spokesman Zoran Krasic stressed the loan, signed in March of this year, would cost the SRS a total of 850,000 and contained an "interest clause" stating that Banca Intesa would gain unlimited rights over SRS property in the event of an annexation or rift in the SRS as a legal entity. Nikolic denied that his actions were illegal and claimed the accusations were "despicable lies." ¶8. (U) Although the SRS is apparently unable to challenge the mandates of National Assembly members who switched to Nikolic's caucus (reftel),it has succeeded in terminating the mandates of SNS members of other bodies who were ejected from the SRS. On October 8, Nikolic confirmed that seven mandates in the Belgrade City Assembly were returned to the SRS, leaving the SNS without representation. Liberal Democratic Party, Serbian Socialist Party, and DSS members joined the SRS in the vote terminating the mandates while DS members abstained, according to SNS spokesman Stefanovic. At the national level, the SRS is reportedly seeking to rebalance the division of parliamentary committee chairmanships. G-17 Plus whip Susana Grubjesic told us that the SRS wanted to chair the Finance and Administrative Committees; the latter, currently headed by Nikolic and responsible for mandate-related questions, was a non-starter, she said. Parties Wary of SNS, Observers Urge Skepticism -------------- - ¶9. (SBU) Some parties on the Serbian right have sought to cast aspersions on the motivations and durability of the SNS. Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) Vice President and Diaspora Minister Srdjan Sreckovic told the Ambassador on September 29 that the SNS was not a modern political party and that Nikolic himself could not be trusted or rehabilitated. DSS officials told us that they were wary of cooperating with SNS because "one political move does not make us forget what these people did last year or ten years ago." Our contacts tell us that the NS's Ilic is willing to cooperate with the SNS but will cautiously wait to see how viable Nikolic's movement becomes. ¶10. (SBU) Political observers are warning that Nikolic's movement may enjoy only limited traction in the long-term. Veteran journalist Braca Grubacic commented that SNS was making a perilous effort to win voters from all edges of the political spectrum by advocating party principles on issues such as Kosovo, corruption, and economic policy that were almost indistinguishable from those of other parties. In Grubacic's view, it is unclear whether Nikolic is personally capable of being the kind of leader who can successfully walk such a political tightrope. ¶11. (SBU) Political commentator Misha Djurkovic also questions Nikolic's ability to successfully lead the SNS. He noted to us that the SNS has thus far not yet attracted capable intellectuals necessary to transform SNS into a serious movement. Describing Nikolic as well-intentioned but unaware of how others are manipulating him, Djurkovic predicted that the SNS would gain no more than 8-10% of the electorate in the long-term. Comment -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Nikolic's break with Seselj has gotten a lot of attention, but polling numbers do not demonstrate any new groundswell of support for him, his new party or his ideology. While his pro-European statements and professed willingness to talk with countries that have recognized Kosovo are encouraging, he has yet to take concrete steps to show he is really serious. Detractors -- of which he has many -- maintain that his Europe talk is cheap and that until he publicly disavows dreams and schemes of a Greater Serbia and demonstrates a willingness to work with the Hague War Crimes Tribunal, he should be approached with caution. Regardless, we need to know more about Nikolic and the electorate to whom he is attractive and will follow developments related to him and his new BELGRADE 00001072 003 OF 003 party very closely. The October 21 party convention should provide us more answers. End Comment. MUNTER