Presidential Elections Statement from HRH Crown Prince Alexander II

Belgrade 19 May 2004 - HRH Crown Prince Alexander II has issued the following statement about the forthcoming presidential elections.

“It is important that the forthcoming Serbian presidential elections be successful. The people must freely make their choice and vote.

What our state needs is the furthering consolidation of stability that will ensure the internal political mechanism works, and that the international community sees our country as a good opportunity for increased investments and partnerships. We must continue to work hard and improve the process to create jobs and better social conditions for all our citizens.

We need also to work hard on joining the European Union as this is our future. We cannot afford to be on the sideline and isolated, as that would hurt us both economically and politically. Our neighbours and not too distant neighbours are working on joining the EU.

As far as the position of the royal family is concerned, it cannot interfere or confuse any election by directly entering them as a political candidate.

It is important to note that those who carry the name Karadjordjevic must abide by the basic principle that all members of the family must always remain above politics.

Our duty as a family is to encourage and promote the democratic process and not to interfere with it. Our Serbian tradition has always been that no member of the Karadjordjevic dynasty has ever run in an election.