№ 51 - Vojvodina’s Statute: First Major Step towards Modernization And Decentralization
№ 51 - Vojvodina’s Statute: First Major Step towards Modernization And Decentralization

Author(s): Author Not Specified
Subject(s): Constitutional Law, Governance
Published by: Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava u Srbiji
Keywords: Vojvodina autonomy; de-centralization of Serbia;
Summary/Abstract: The debate on the Statute of Vojvodina revealed that key political actors cannot reach a consensus about the decentralization model to be applied to Serbia. A “silent political war” over the Statute laid bare conceptual differences between advocates of centralism and monopoly of power on the one hand, and advocates of a comprehensive decentralization of Serbia on the other. The former demagogically hide themselves behind overemphasized national pathos and concern for Serbia’s integrity and sovereignty, while the latter call for an open society and efficient administration and market economy.In the society without a clear-cut strategy for the country’s development and in the atmosphere of overall disorientation, autonomists were also somewhat at loss when it came to efficient action against the deliberate delay to place the draft statute at parliamentary agenda. It turned out that provincial authorities had no plan for counteracting this unnecessary delay.Four options were in play: an appeal to the Constitutional Court of Serbia, calling of a provincial referendum, including the statute issue in the process of European integrations and, finally, dissolving of the provincial parliament. The ceremony of proclamation of the Statute did not put an end to the “battle for Vojvodina.” Vojvodina will be unable to efficiently exercise the powers it has been invested with unless it has the right to decide on resources necessary for it. New polemic, assaults and accusations will stem from the process of solving the problems of the autonomy’s functioning. Those seeing Vojvodina’s property and income as a material basis for implementation of “a separatist program” are not few.

• Details
• Contents