DNEVNIK, NOVI SAD, 04. JUN 2006.

INTERVIEW: HRH CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER II KARADJORDJEVIC:

SPANISH CONSTITUTION AS THE MODEL FOR SERBIA

By Dragan Milivojevic

What Serbia needs in this moment is unity and I am sending an appeal to politicians to act united for the good of our people. Bickering should stop, daily rhetoric that is seen between Office of the President and Prime Minister of Serbia – stated in his interview for Dnevnik Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic and emphasized the need of involving the Crown Council in consultations for the new Serbian Constitution.

As the row model Crown Prince Alexander II is offering Spanish Constitution that lined up Spain with democratic, developed countries of Europe and the world upon the return of King Juan Carlos on the throne.  On his traditional Media Reception at the White Palace, Serbian Prince emphasized again that the best solution for Serbia and our people is restoration of Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy that he asked for one week ago with the request to return the crown to him.

Are you satisfied with the reactions after your request?

- Very much, although people in Serbia are still not informed enough what actually Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy is. That is a democratic system that is very functional in Spain, Australia, Holland, Great Britain, and Sweden… People think it’s an absurd. But it’s not. People think that Serbia has no choice. I say – it has. We have to improve our image in Europe and the world, and dignity and prestige of the king will improve the status of the nation both in the country and internationally. King respects all the political parties, and I have that respect to everybody but I am not the member of any political party in this country. But, as I said, I am very satisfied with the feed back after my statement and request for the restoration of the Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy. Many journalists covered that event. It was covered quite well.

Preparations of the new Serbian Constitution are taking part, with consultations of the president, prime minister and the president of the National Assembly.  Is there going to be any draft of the Constitution that is going to be sent from the Palace to the Serbian Assembly?

Neither I nor the members of the Crown Council had any meeting with the representatives of our Parliament or the Government. I think that it would be very good if we don’t rush on this subject. People have to know that there is a number of interesting constitutional suggestions, among others the one that Professor Pavle Nikolic, member of the Crown Council wrote. That draft of the Constitution that predicts the restoration of the Monarchy into Serbia is very interesting, but there is another one that could be interesting for us, as well. That is very modern Spanish Constitution, ratified by the people of Spain on the Referendum in 1978. I had an opportunity to meet with Mr. Suares and Mr. Gonsales couple of years ago. And they told me that their two decades old experience how they restored Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy would be very important for us. We have translated that Constitution to Serbian language, because we want media to get familiar with the solution we find useful for Serbia.

So, you think that Constitutional consultations should involve members of the Crown Council?

Yes, we are always ready for that. As I just have said, there is no rush; we have to involve our experts in the process of declaration of the new Constitution. People must know what everybody is doing in order to bring new constitution, while it is a common interest.

Do you think that supportive political parties that have restoration of the monarchy in their program are being honest?

In the western countries, such as Holland or Belgium all the political parties have the respect for Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy. There is no special royalist political party and all existing parties are supporting Monarchy. In Great Britain there are three mayor political parties that are supporting Monarchy, and one of them is Labour party, which is actually socialist. And that is normal.

Do we need strong royalist coalition on the political scene in Serbia in order to restore the crown?

No. We have enough political parties on the scene today. No royalist coalition.

Can you reveal us a secret is it true that late prime minister Zoran Djindjic had the plan to restore Monarchy through the constitution on Sretenje, back in 2003?

We were always close friends. I had a great respect to Djindjic. We had 15 years of meetings and friendship behind us. We have discussed that issue several times. He has shown the great interest for the restoration of the Monarchy. He had meetings in the Western countries with that subject. But, we thought that the period after the 5^th October was too short and we were in the quest for the political stability in Serbia, and we wanted people to be informed about what is Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy. Djindjic was very intelligent, wise, opened person, great democrat, and that is how he looked at the future of Serbia.

Are you going to fight together with Serbia to retain Kosovo and Metohija in our borders?

Dialog about the future status of Kosovo is now taking part in Vienna. That is the job for our Government and I wish them success and of course, all the best to our representatives in the negotiating team. Kosovo is very close to my heart. I have been there number of times, and I have witnessed very bad situation on the field. I want the good solution to be found for Kosovo, not only for our people, but for everyone that lives there. Everyone must have the future. We are living in the small area of South-east Europe and the life has to be good for everyone. 

NO PROBLEM, EVERYTHING IS CALM

You have stated that you would contribute to the international positioning of Serbia as a monarch. There are many people that are criticizing why haven’t you done anything by now?

You see, I have come to the country as a friend of everyone. When I go abroad, I see many people from different political parties and circles. I am friend with them. I am always telling positive things about Serbia and situation in Serbia. People in the west have no sufficient information about what is going on here. Although I am not prime-minister or minister, I am proud of our country. And that is important. Foreigners have many questions: what is the situation in Serbia, or even is it dangerous for them to come to Serbia. I am always telling them that there is no problem, that we are waiting for them and that we are making plan so that they are satisfied as much as we are. So, we have to work on the image improvement and I am working on that. That is important for our companies, but also for the foreign investors, for our approach to the international funds.