Aleksandar Seselj and Vojislav Vucic

It may not be polite, but I have to quote one of my old columns. Not because time has confirmed it, but to remind you how Vučić came to power. Or rather, who brought him there. Thus returning not only Serbia but the entire region to the 1990s. To the scene of the crime.

It was the end of November 2011 when the all-powerful and untouchable Đukanović, the master of Montenegro, was visited by Toma Nikolić and Aleksandar Vučić, two political outsiders at that moment, "sinners" of Vojislav Šešelj. But the boys showed promise. And Milo always had a flair for talent. Together they announced what we would see in the coming years: we would build the best relations between the two countries. Toma was in charge of the bank, and young Aleksandar worked more from the background. He was happy to see Tito, and the smile did not slip from his face even when our Don was asked if he was afraid of Sanaderization. "That's what political mice say who need, first of all, deratization, instead of Sanaderization." There, Vučić learned new lessons on the topic of dealing with dissenters. Less than a year later, Toma defeated the weak Boris, and Alexander the Great came to power.

This reminder is not because of the biography of the Honorable Milo, which, by his own admission, is being prepared in great detail, so that the authors can include this chapter in their work. The main reason for mentioning it is the latest news from Belgrade - that elections have been called for October 25, which should also mean the closing of the circle of all-Serbian suffering and apocalypse that began in 1987 and was cemented by the election of AV as master in 2012. Because if Vučić survives the next elections politically, Serbia and the region will not. Or, without apology - we are screwed.

Brnaba and Novi Sad's Vučela have already submitted an electoral list with the extremely ironic name - United Serbia! Only AV, the biggest cynic among Balkan kleptocrats, could have come up with that, giving a provocative name to a never-before-divided and warring Serbia - United Serbia.

In addition, the irony is not only in the title but also in the content of the list - it will include Aleksandar Šešelj, named after his father Vojislav, the founder of the Radical dynasty, at number 37. The opposition in BG says that Vučić has been implementing Šešelj's policies the whole time and that now the evil has been formalized through a single list: "It would be fairer if the list was called 'United Serbia Aleksandar Vučić - Vojislav Šešelj', and it would be fairest if the order of the two in the names were reversed, so that Duke Šešelj would be first because Vučić is implementing his policies," concluded opposition leader Dragan Đilas.

And the man is right. Next year marks the 4th anniversary of the evil and most tragic cycle in which the country of Serbia and the region have been drawn. Its consequences will be felt by citizens throughout the 21st century, and perhaps a significant part of the next century. Just one piece of information: in 1987, before the fall of communism, Poland had a GDP of less than $1.700 per capita, while in Serbia the same year the GDP was almost twice as high - $3! Last year, 2025, Poland ended with a GDP of 25 per capita, and Serbia with almost half as much - 13! So, in Poland, GDP increased almost 15 times in a little less than 40 years, and in Serbia, after Vučić's "economic boom", by only 4 times.

That is why Serbia, instead of Poland, when it comes to economic parameters, is now on a par with Albania. Although in 1987 Albania's GDP was four times lower than in Serbia (about 800 dollars per capita), today they are almost the same - in Albania 13.000, and in Serbia 13.700! And if it had gone the way of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia's GDP would have been close to or over 30 thousand dollars per capita. Which means that the lowest pension or average salary would be almost twice as high.

But Serbia's economic collapse is an unimportant fact compared to the collapse of society and values, the country's turn from Europe to Asia. It is not measurable in figures like the economic one, but Serbia's even greater lag behind Poland in terms of values ​​is obvious. After the fall of the "iron curtain", Warsaw rushed towards the West and democracy, while Serbia plunged into the abyss of nationalism and "black hand". And that is why today Poland is one of the leading countries of NATO and the EU, and Serbia is waiting for Putin to join the alliance with Belarus and Kazakhstan.

That is the price of the evil times. Which, as comrade Đido metaphorically described, were marked by Vojislav Šešelj and Aleksandar Vučić. Which they are obviously proud of, both of them, so they have nothing to hide but to highlight! And they crown it with the aforementioned coalition which, instead of the cynical name United Serbia - Aleksandar Vučić, should be called Divided Serbia - Vojislav Vučić. Or Aleksandar Šešelj. Not after that Šešelj junior, but after the two of them.

If economic parameters dryly and calculatingly show the collapse of Serbia and Serbs under Vučić and Šešelj, the play on words metaphorically depicts the essence of a much deeper, value-based collapse of society. From Lola Ribar to Ratko Mladić, from the legendary anti-fascist and partisan fighter, to the Balkan butcher and war criminal, Serbia was led down this path and is still being held by a radical two-headed dragon that we could figuratively call Vojislav Vučić. Or Aleksandar Šešelj.

Which name for the diabolical coalition and brotherhood would prevail depends on the "history" of the names themselves. Namely, it is hard to believe that the megalomania of Vučić's parents went so far and deep that they chose to name their firstborn son after Alexander the Great. Although he came the furthest in his conquests and the title of King of the Serbs would have suited him best, from here to Tokyo. It is more likely that AV's parents had smaller appetites and that Serbia up to Karlobag and Virovitica (and not to Tokyo) was enough for them. And then they named their son Aleksandar, in honor of the king who, together with his father, created and founded that Greater Serbia, or the first Yugoslavia. Perhaps dreaming that one day their Aleksandar would become the master of a similar creation, which coincides with what we have been hearing for a decade and a half through the story of the "Serbian world".

In the case of Šešelj, the situation with the possible genesis of the name is much more complicated: the first association is that his parents named him after Stefan Vojislav, one of the leaders of the dynasty after which it was named - Vojislavljevići. He was the prince of Duklja, who around the 1030s raised an uprising against Byzantine rule and strengthened the independence of his province, turning it towards Rome. Christianity was splitting at that time, so it cannot be said that Stefan Vojislav was Catholic or Orthodox, but the fact that he linked the fate of Duklja to Rome and not to Constantinople is indicative. Šešelj's opponents would say that this Vojislav, Dukljanski, after whom the leader of the radicals was possibly named, is one of the proofs that the Šešeljis were Catholics until recently. Until the UDBA foisted Vojislav on the Serbs, first as a Marxist and then as a nationalist. Something similar to the legend of the German Service that "imported" Lenin and communism to the Russians at the beginning of the 20th century, from which they still cannot recover to this day.

If AV himself had to choose between Aleksandar Šešelj and Vojislav Vučić, I am sure he would opt for the second solution. A master of marketing would recognize the advertising potential of the initials VV, as victory, plus glory and a place in Serbian history would go to the Vučićs. And not the Šešeljs. But, without irony and dark humor, if the citizens of Serbia had to choose between AS and VV, the majority would cancel the ballot, aware that it is just a play on words, not different policies. That is why on October 25, the majority of Serbs will choose an alternative to their country's decade-long, if not century-long, wandering through conspiracy theories and the kingdom of heaven. Far from Europe and democracy. The politics of Šešelj and Vučić, which threatened to reach Tokyo, did not even manage to reach Karlobag. Its deadline has long expired, and the next elections in Serbia are the last chance to save the country from the politics of Aleksandar and Vojislav, Šešelj and Vučić. To prevent an even bigger accident. Or even disappearing.