The White Palace, 1 December 2003

Ladies and gentlemen, representatives of the media,

Monarchy is not a universal remedy that will cure all evil and injustice, just as republic is not. Neither of the two institutions are good or bad by themselves. Their value at a particular moment and situation depends on their results, on their functioning as a control and corrective factor in a society, on whether they help and protect establishing and functioning of strong institutions based on the interest of people and democracy, principles of justice and righteousness, tolerance and general welfare, on whether they broaden the horizon of liberty and social justice. If they don’t, the system is wrong, regardless of which it is.

Ladies and gentlemen, in every message and statement of mine I have insisted on the words democracy, human rights, equality under the law, regardless of ethnic origin, religion or political beliefs. Sometimes it seems as an unnecessary repetition of the things that go without saying. There is not one political party that has not, in words and in their programs, supported those values. And yet, we have been failing in achieving them for more than a half of a century. I speak of the need to respect everybody, for that is what we lack the most. I speak to remind and to warn. That is the role and the duty of the Crown in a constitutional parliamentary monarchy.

You are all aware of the letter addressed to me by His Holiness Pavle the Patriarch of Serbia, on behalf of the Holy Synod of Serbian Orthodox Church, for which I am deeply grateful.

The reestablishment of the Kingdom of Serbia is a matter of law and justice, a matter of democracy and national interest. The above mentioned letter speaks about it, as well as the document that you have just heard.

The Crown provides stability, unity and continuity. The Crown reigns and the government rules and this is the principle of all constituional parliamentary monarchies. Within the European Union there are republics and constitutional parliamentary monarchies that work hand in hand day to day for all the citizens of the Europen Union.

The Crown of Serbia is not on the election lists, it does not have its own candidates, or its favorite political parties. The Crown of Serbia represents and respects everybody and is for one and all.

In a constitutional parliamentary monarchy there are parliamentary elections. These forthcoming parliamentary elections will not the be last that we will have. The world is not going to stop, no matter what the outcome of the elections might be. Democracy must prevail.

Serbia must not postpone its return to the world, to Europe, to the future. The price would be paid by all citizens of Serbia. We must not allow that, that must not happen, that would be irresponsible.

Serbia as a constitutional parliamentary monarchy will make all citizens proud and provide domestic and international respect for Serbia.

Thank you.