Dejan Šoškić, a professor at the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade and an expert in financial markets, had no obvious reason for optimism when on June 28th he was elected as Governor of the National Bank of Serbia. On that day the dinar reached a historical low against the euro, and economic analysts were practically competing to state the problems the new governor was bound to face. Despite all this, and since being elected as governor, Šoškić in his public appearances has given the impression of a man who was glad to ‘pick a fight’ with new challenges.
Dejan Šoškić, Governor of the National Bank of Serbia
By Vera Didanović
When she arrived in Belgrade in 2006, H. E. Ms. Denise De Hauwere became the Ambassador of Belgium to Serbia. A few months later, the country went through the process of division with Montenegro, and Belgrade became the capital of Serbia. Once again the discussion of a country’s division is on the agenda - this time the country at stake is Belgium where, after the elections on June 13th, Flemish separatists have substantially strengthened their position. This is the motivation for CorD magazine’s interview with H.E. De Hauwere, in which she discusses the plans of Belgium associated with its six-month presidency over the EU, relations between Serbia and Belgium, and other topics, with questions relating to the destiny of the country from where the Ambassador originates.
H.E. Ms. Denise De Hauwere, Ambassador of Belgium to Serbia
By Vera Didanović
October this year marks ten years since Serbia, then a federal unit of the SRJ, became part of the just founded Stabilization and Association Process, a new policy of the EU for countries in the Western Balkans region. This approach was primarily to enable the Union to become acquainted with these countries, just out of war conflicts, civil riots and international interventions, and then to help them stabilise, commence reform processes and someday become members of the EU.
Professor Dr. Tanja Miščević,
Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade
There is a folk saying in the Balkans which seeks to encapsulate the centuries of frustrations the Balkan peoples have labored under for 500 or more years, frst under the Ottoman Empire, then as part of a new Yugoslav state created in the aftermath of World War I and fnally under the Communists and their successors. The saying goes something like this “We have reached rock bottom, but we continue to dig.” In other words, no matter how bad things are they can still get worse.
Martin Sletzinger,
former director of the East European studies program at the Wilson Center
Dejan Šoškić, a professor at the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade and an expert in financial markets, had no obvious reason for optimism when on June 28th he was elected as Governor of the National Bank of Serbia. On that day the dinar reached a historical low against the euro, and economic analysts were practically competing to state the problems the new governor was bound to face. Despite all this, and since being elected as governor, Šoškić in his public appearances has given the impression of a man who was glad to ‘pick a fight’ with new challenges.
When she arrived in Belgrade in 2006, H. E. Ms. Denise De Hauwere became the Ambassador of Belgium to Serbia. A few months later, the country went through the process of division with Montenegro, and Belgrade became the capital of Serbia. Once again the discussion of a country’s division is on the agenda - this time the country at stake is Belgium where, after the elections on June 13th, Flemish separatists have substantially strengthened their position. This is the motivation for CorD magazine’s interview with H.E. De Hauwere, in which she discusses the plans of Belgium associated with its six-month presidency over the EU, relations between Serbia and Belgium, and other topics, with questions relating to the destiny of the country from where the Ambassador originates.
October this year marks ten years since Serbia, then a federal unit of the SRJ, became part of the just founded Stabilization and Association Process, a new policy of the EU for countries in the Western Balkans region. This approach was primarily to enable the Union to become acquainted with these countries, just out of war conflicts, civil riots and international interventions, and then to help them stabilise, commence reform processes and someday become members of the EU.
There is a folk saying in the Balkans which seeks to encapsulate the centuries of frustrations the Balkan peoples have labored under for 500 or more years, frst under the Ottoman Empire, then as part of a new Yugoslav state created in the aftermath of World War I and fnally under the Communists and their successors. The saying goes something like this “We have reached rock bottom, but we continue to dig.” In other words, no matter how bad things are they can still get worse.