Serbia: Does Barack Obama Mean Hospitality for the World? · Global Voices
Ljubisa Bojic

Serbs are hurt because the United States supported the act of Kosovo Metohia province independence early this year. They have a moderate hope for change in American diplomacy led by the new president Barack Obama. Although former State Department officials like Richard Holbrooke may be appointed, it looks like Serbs and the world outside America can expect a new age of hospitality and cooperation as a consequence of the latest presidential election in the United States.
Nemanja Avramović claims there would be no crucial change in American politics towards Serbia. Still, he is optimistic (SRP):
Barack Obama […] is the new president of the United States. I know this probably does not mean anything for Serbia (directly), because U.S. policy towards Serbia and Kosovo will not change. Although if the new president of the United States really fulfills his election promises, the situation would be at least a little better all over the world, and therefore indirectly in Serbia as well.
Sivi Soko (“Gray Falcon”) thinks (SRP) Obama's “Change” came out to be like Serbian president Boris Tadić‘s “Better Life” campaign – a story for election use only:
The daily newspaper [Glas Javnosti] published [an essay (SRP)] by [Srđa Trifković] about how the result of elections in America would impact Serbia. […]
[…] However, we learn that the “transition” team has appointed some former employees of [Bill Clinton]'s State Department. One of them now works for the [Albright Group] (company [owned by Madeleine Albright]). […]
“The only way for some big change to happen in American relations with the Balkan area would be if Serbia acted strongly with aggressive diplomacy efforts. With this government in Belgrade, this is, of course, completely impossible.”
In another post, Sivi Soko adds:
Have you ever thought that the euphoria with which some Americans perceive Barack Hussein Obama may be similar to the euphoria with which some Serbs experienced [Slobodan Milošević]? Both politicians promised changes.
[…]
The choice of [Rahm Emanuel] for head of the office could be a good thing, because he was one of the prominent members of the Serbian committee in Congress. But the real test will be Obama's choice for head of diplomacy. If he chooses [Richard Holbrooke], [the future relations with Serbia] would be [very bad].
Rivera jokes (or not) (SRP):
[…] I am fed up with our domestic problems and issues […]. Thus – let's go straight to Havana! [Fidel Castro] has lived to see to another American president. It is the first time he said something nice about one of them – “Obama was an intelligent fellow.”
Think for a moment how the meeting between Fidel and [Raul Castro] and the American president Barack Obama would look like on the coast [of Cuba]. They would drink coca-cola and rum with a lot of ice. They would be saying cheers to one another. Barack would say:
“Fuck it, forget what happened. Let's move on!”
To this – cheers!