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Aleksandar Vučić

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2026-04-26
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2026-04-26
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  1. “We are passionate people, we are ardent people here, we have two big teams, Red Star and Partisan, as you know. And it's a big rivalry like United Lake.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  2. “No, no, no, but you know. I was thinking about it thousands of times and Edirama is always making a joke about it. He prefers social networks. Now, Wuchic has to refer to his Serbian citizens. He didn't do it twice today. He now needs to do it and that's it, you know. But if I was not doing that, then you would say you're an arrogant bastard. They didn't want to show any kind of care for his own people. You don't explain anything to your people. You don't justify your position, your stances and everything else. It's always easy to criticize and to spit on someone. That was not done that way, you would criticize it from the other side.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  3. “Yes. Let us do this. Let us do this and then at the end even if I become the Prime Minister Even if I go for that, which is not certain yet, otherwise we would have already announced that, even if it happens, that would be my last tenure. I will say that in advance, like Angela Merkel used to say that, because you have to understand that people become fed up with you. Doesn't matter whether you did something wrong or not. Nobody cares about it. Up with you, they just want to change something in their life, they're fed up with the same face, staring at that for 14 years.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  4. “will never agree upon. And this is the only rational and I believe the only possible way being a part of Europe which we want to be. You ask me whether I would like to be a full fled member state, yeah. But that is not going to happen that easy because of all these preterns that we have.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  5. “Totally different city, absolutely everything has changed. We change the face of this country. Everything's different. This country is Sixty one percent Overall Western Balkan FDI attraction. This country is 50% of overall Western Balkans GDP. This country is 55% of overall Western Balkans export. Country when I became the prime minister used to have public debt to GDP ratio 79% today is 41% just for you to know. Every salary used to be 329 euros today is 1,057 I believe significant change. We built more highways, more motorways Then it was built in last sixty years. This Will remain my legacy. What I believe, speaking about Structural reforms. Democracy, Europe, I think that we can become a part of Europe in a way that we proposed. Everything else European countries.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  6. “You asked me a question that goes in depth of our society. I'll tell you something else before that. Believe that Spending few hours in Belgrade. You were able, dear Alistair, to see totally different city.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  7. “Almost 10 years younger than that young candidate of the students, you know. So what? I'm telling you it's not about someone's ages. If I will feel fit, then I might go. If not. I'll be very honest and very sincere with my people because at the end All the other guys from the opposition would be Joe Billen just not to see my name.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  8. “Maybe you're right, but the real issue is that I want to see Vucic from The same level of energy which I had. In 2017-2019, even 2020.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  9. “I'm talking about all the attempts to overthrow me. Mainly financed from outside. Also, it was partly genuine, no doubt. But”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  10. “I'll do that, but the problem that I have today is I cannot hide it, and it's not fair towards my people. If I won't be able to find that energy, I say to my people, not fit for the job, because you know what I passed in last fourteen years? You know how difficult that was for you in order an easy time. Bit smaller period of time. And you just put yourself into my shoes and last 12, 13, 14 months. I passed through. It's something that no other leaders have been going through.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  11. “I'm not going to violate our constitutional regulations. Now scrutinizing possibility for candidating someone else on parliamentarian lists in order to be the new prime minister. We'll see Whether there is possibility to secure our legacy in that way or not.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  12. “About someone Still have more energy and bigger enthusiasm Most of my opponents. And even most of people that are surrounding me. But I'll be very honest with you. We are doing All the polls, all different surveys, all focus groups, all crisis groups, everything. In order to see whether there are other candidates able to beat the Candidates that are coming from the opposition.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  13. “Yes, they were saying tens of times that Vucic was preparing himself and preparing the ground for changing the constitution because he'll never leave this presidential palace.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  14. “I cannot discuss that. I'm not that smart. I'm just saying what I see today. I'm not a prophet, not a visionary person. But what I'm doing, like in chess, like in sports, I can put pieces together, I can analyze the situation.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  15. “There, at least, we know that. People, ordinary people, they don't know it because they cannot find that information in any of our papers. We are lagging behind Chinese on technological level regarding hybrid machines, not combustion engine. Three to four years at least, and you believe that we are going to close that gap in years to come? No. The gap will become bigger because they have an eye of a tiger. They are ready to work, not only eight hours, but ten or twelve hours. They have long-term targets, long-term aims. What we do? How does it look our working day? We work for two or three hours. Everything else we long to digital laziness and complaining against our bosses, against”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  16. “I'll tell you, I admire their diligence, their devotion, I admire something they have and we lost. We Europeans we lost. It's an eye of a tiger. They're cravingly trying to overtake United States of America. We are lagging behind. Take the best European car companies”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  17. “You cannot impose Cannot impose your values and your thoughts to everybody else in the world. I'm not sure. No, you have to observe, you have to respect someone else's customs, tradition.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  18. “You're going to buy Chinese hybrid or electric vehicle or European. Most of the people just in five years in Europe will pick Chinese hybrid and electric vehicles.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  19. “China is I know that you were listening to Li Kang's speech. From 2015 or 2016 in Munich Conference, he was saying in a relatively naive way but very smart way. He was saying, you know, China just want to renew and to revive something that was regular to become number one power of the world. And then Angela Merkel replied to that saying, who told you so? That it was a regular situation? And she got a big applause. But China showed itself as a very serious state, very responsible state on a world political stage, a country that brings stability, and that country that are so successful, they're overtaking everybody, including the United States of America. Even combining softwares and hardware, they're ahead. AI and software as they're nectone acquired Americans.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  20. “When I became the prime minister, Russia was partner number two. Italy was number one. Bosnia and Herzegovina was number three. Now, economic partner number one by far is Germany. Number two is China. Russia is number 11. Serbia has changed. It's not about political approaches. It's about economy. It's about economy. It's about reindustrialization of the country. It's about a country that progressed so much that now we have more than 2 billion of trade exchange with Poland, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Romania, and all those in a way surrounding EU countries, which is a big, big, big change. It has never ever been the case before.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  21. “Haven't decided yet, but I was there last year. And just let me tell you this, dear Rory. And people were always exaggerating about it, about Russia's influence, everything else. Okay, we have good relationship. They can always give me a call. I can give them a call. And I believe that's helpful always. But the real issue is...”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  22. “Rauri's trying to find out is what your relationship is. Our relationship is we are traditional friends, we have good relationship with them, but we are a sovereign nation and we are an independent country and we are Serbs. We are not small Russians, we are not small Ukrainians, we are Just Serbs”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  23. “No, we had long-term agreements with Americans for 25 years. Be partisan, you know, they were selling ammunition for 25 years to United States of America for 25 years, let's say. But we were selling, let's say, to some African countries. That were re-exporting that to Ukraine. We were selling to Russians. We were very angry because we sold many things to Bulgaria, then to Bosnia and Herzegovina. And that was my decision to sell it to Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  24. “No, we were backing all humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. We were sending money. We were sending humanitarian support and everything else. Armament and Ornas, we didn't sell to anybody, to any of war infections. This is our official stance and that's it. Speaking about speaking.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  25. “No, I did not. Doing my job. Selling our ammunition to different countries because we need to earn money and we need to feed our workers. And then we discuss that with Russians. They attacked me face to face. They said to me this and that. And I said to them what I thought and what I had to say. And I said it in a very open, transparent and sincere way. I'm not going to discuss it. No, no. I'm not going to discuss it because what was said on a closed meetings, I'm not going to expose it.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  26. “But it's late to remorse on something that you have already done. You were always speaking about Serbia that was a Russian puppet. Okay,”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  27. “There are different cultures, there are different traditions, there are different worlds at the end. Russia is not a part of European Union. At least you used to be a part of European Union, but you were not satisfied and you left, as you know, and you are still fostering us to go there. And we listen to you, and we are on that path.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  28. “Which is not true. There are noises. There are many gray nuances. It's not everything that is black and white. But put that aside. What I was saying to everybody.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  29. “You were always presenting yourself as a beacon of democracy. Russia was a beacon of evil, and that's it, you know, which is not true”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  30. “I hope so I hope that there are some understandings. For the first time After many years In Italy, France, and Germany. That's what I believe, but I'm not sure about it.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  31. “No, I don't want to be rude. I am arrogant and impudent from time to time, as you know, dear Alistair and dear Rory. But I don't think so. When it was 2004, I believe when Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union, were they fulfilling all requirements, all demands even today?”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  32. “Yes, not only some countries here, but if I were them, Have done the same. Smart people would have done it. And then they can speak to one structure in Poland. They are deeply divided. Another structure in Romania, another structure in Bulgaria. It's not that easy for Europeans to keep control if Americans would like to make it differently.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  33. “Because without all the others, it has no sense. You're bringing, I don't know, Montenegro and Moldova to Europe without Serbia. What's the sense?”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  34. “Five to ten countries in Europe, mainly in East Europe under not their control, but with the predominant influence of the United States of America, creating any issues for the European Union. And that's why I don't understand European Union why those guys did not bring so far strategic decisions based even on that letter that was signed by Edirama and myself. I don't get it to tell you the truth because all the other decisions were political in the past. And we were not asking for veto right. We were not asking for commissioners. We were not asking even for bigger fundings. Nothing.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  35. “I believe that we reached the point of no return. What I believe that Americans will do in the future, this is my guess. And they are smart and diligent people, as you know. And they will try to build their structures in Europe. Now they trump reasonably will try to escape from further conflicts in Iran. That will And one important era, but will bring us to very complicated and very complex relationship all over the world. And I believe that United States and their politicians doesn't matter. You're going to see that. It's not going to be... Totally changed even when Democrats come to power, if they come to power, because there are still two and a half years. But what I believe that will happen, I believe that American will build its own structure taking”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  36. “Yes, but also I cannot say that it's not a violation of international public law when you start attacking a sovereign country like”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  37. “Violation of international public law in Iran. Although I believe that I'm a big friend of Israel, I believe so. The only flag that was hosted here in front of this presidency, apart from Serbian flags, and once European Union flag was Jewish flag, I cannot justify absolutely everything, but whether I'm still a friend of Israel, yes, I am.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  38. “Do you think No, but he was speaking about family values. He was speaking something against transgender or whatever else. And people here like that. These were the main reasons at the end. They expected to get people were... Jubilant to see changes in the United States, to find a friend in Washington after so many years. And they were, you know, like cravingly trying to find a sufficient reason to say, okay, it's not America that we are fighting against. It was that administration. We have nothing against American people, United States of America. We love that country. This was the reason why Trump got such a huge popularity here.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  39. “First of all, people in Serbia, as I told you, they hate Clinton administration because of 1999 and 2008. Democrats. These are historical reasons. Then people here are more conservative. If you see my two older kids, my son and my daughter, they're totally different. One would always belong as a conservative, as a religious guy, to Trump people. Although she is not lesbian, she supports all LGBT rights, all these alleged real liberal values and everything else. But people in Serbia are mainly conservative, traditional people, many of them religious people, not only Orthodox people, but Muslim people”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  40. “I'll be very honest. I cannot justify every single move of Donald Trump. But if you ask me whether I do understand American people that voted for Donald Trump, yes. If I were American, would have voted for Donald Trump and you are now in a country where he used to have by far the highest level of popularity in an entire world apart from the much bigger than in the United States. It was 74-75% popularity. It's lower. Now it's slower. But many other world”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  41. “I believe that he Trusted in his posters. In a way, although he was saying to me that it was neck to neck, but two days after, it was not an easy conversation between two of us because it was emotional one. And we were speaking. It was a relatively long telephone conversation openline. He said to me, Whatever you were saying to me, you were right. There was something else. There's a lousy chess player. I was always more prudent and more cautious and less optimistic than he was. This is my nature. I'm always more prudent and more cautious. That's why I'm avoiding any kind of clashes even with the small guys. Take care of your things, of your job, then go somewhere else.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  42. “Because he was tackling the other issues. And I was saying that to him. And he said to me, Alexander, I am experienced. I said, I believe you. You know better than I do.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  43. “I was always more interested in resolving internal issues, more focused on growth rate of Serbia, more focused on re-industrialization of Serbia, digitization of Serbia. This was my topic. He became a big world leader. And then people in Hungary missed him. They missed his presence. No, they missed his presence before”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  44. “Define my response in an easy way. There is no man in the world that can have that kind of relationship with Albincorti. Full stop.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  45. “300,000 Hungarians in Serbia. But anyway, big number of people. Now we are brothers. We used to have, why? I appreciate Viktor Orban's role. 15 years ago, we had almost 1,000 incidents speaking about big brawls, clashes, physical clashes between Hungarians and Serbs in Vojvodina. Recent years, less than 30, 30 times less 30 times less. Thank you for that. Good relationship with Peter Major. I'll do my best because Something of the best interest for Serbian and Hungarian people. But I don't forget my friends and I never do.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  46. “I liked his openness. It is agreed on many things. Let's say when he was bringing decisions against Central European University and something else, I was asking them to come to Belgrade. Because I wanted to have a diversity of universities and faculties. I had no problems with that. And I asked him, I was very open with him. He became a big world-known Either. He started taking care of Global South, fighting against big guys. In Europe and all over the world against American Biden administration, Kamala and all the others, which was not easy, he was courageous enough. But what was the real reason that we made a friendship was something that we did both. And he deserves everything to be praised. It's Hungarian, Serbian friendship. You both know how difficult that relationship used to be throughout history.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  47. “But let me tell you that there are no small medias, there are mainstream medias that are very much against us. Owned by big tycoons, which invested huge amounts of money in propaganda and lies against me. And that's it. And you know, how can you understand the argument where someone is casting spells against you, even adding that your father actually is not your father because your mother was a whore and she was cheating your alleged father with one Albanian and that's why I use so much pro-Albanian.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  48. “I cannot more agree with you, at least on something. There are TV channels that are on my side, private channels, that state TV now they say it's a modern language. It's a public broadcaster. Yes, it's a public broadcaster. They're totally not on my side. And during these revolutionary times, they shifted themselves absolutely to the other side. Now they are relatively more objective, but they were absolutely on their side.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  49. “I cannot accept all the arguments, but okay, I accept it. Our fault. Tell me about media. What did I do and what did we do regarding media? You have more medias against me here than against any other leader in the region.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  50. “Agree with Just tell me what is the backsliding with judiciary? I do understand. Now we are revoking something and we'll do our job. And I accept it.”

    2026-04-26 · The Rest Is Politics: Leading · 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source