J. Joksimović: I am not a character from Nušić’s play to be addressed as “Mrs Minister”

December 28 2020 | Belgrade

J. Joksimović: I am not a character from Nušić’s play to be addressed as “Mrs Minister”

Today in the Serbian Assembly, during the debate on the conclusions regarding the European Commission’s Report on Serbia, Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović has debated with several MPs. To MP Enis Imamović from United Valley SDA Sandžak, she has retorted that she was not Minister’s wife so he should stop addressing her as a character from Nušić’s play.

Imamović spoke about the position of minorities in Serbia and addressed Jadranka Joksimović as “Mrs Minister”, so she reacted:

“You have had a misogynous approach towards me since you have named me Mrs Minister. I am not a character from Nušić’s play since I am not Minister’s wife, I am the Minister. So, please, include this word in your vocabulary”, responded Joksimović.

When speaking about the European Commission’s Report, the President of United Serbia Dragan Marković Palma to a certain extent criticised both the Commission and member states, since some of them wanted to impede Serbia on its European path.

“If the Report of the European Commission had been accurate, Angela Merkel would have forbidden German investors to invest in Serbia so 60,000 workers employed in German companies in Serbia would not be working there”, said Marković.

Mentioning that the opposition was complaining about the electoral conditions, Marković said that it could not be witnessed anywhere for a threshold to be lowered from five to three per cent in the election year, but that the opposition acted like a club competing in the First Super League, which then fell to the Second League, from Second to the Zone League and finally gave up the competition.

“So, they want to have their delegates. Where in the world have you seen that?”, asked Marković.

He mentioned that he was not a “Europeanist”, but that he supported Serbia joining the EU, but without new blackmails every six months. “My discussion referred to the fact when you will stop doing that to Serbia”, he said.

Marković said that in 2008, he and Ivica Dačić created a pro-European government when Joksimović “was not of pro-European orientation”.

“It does not matter anyway, but we have created a pro-European government. The investors started coming to Serbia since then. My criticism was directed towards those who had promised us something, and they lied to us”, said the MP from United Serbia.

Joksimović has responded that she has been pleased to have heard from Marković, who had demonstrated the existence of pluralism in viewpoints on European integration.

“When I listen to you, I have the impression that your disposition is somewhat anti-European, but I personally think that you have greatly contributed to the promotion of European idea by being welcomed in Vienna and Paralia and everywhere you went with the entrepreneurs. I think that was a genuine way and you have demonstrated in practice that you recognise the value of EU membership”, said Joksimović.

She has added that, although Marković was critical in his speech, he has contributed to the European idea.

She has responded to him for his observation that “she was not in pro-European disposition”.

“You have made allusions to my membership in SRS, but let me remind you that SNS was established based on the polarised relationship inside former SRS about accepting the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. Those who created SNS were willing to accept the SAA. Since 2014, Vučić and SNS have done more for the European future of Serbia than pro-European rhetoric of those who were in power then had done for 10, 12 years, as in essence, they had not initiated any substantial reform”, said Joksimović.

Source: Tanjug