Swiss Die Weltwoche: Rapid progress of Serbia into the future

Located between the East and the West, Serbia is rapidly catching up on its backlog, particularly in technological and social progress, according to the Swiss weekly magazine "Weltwoche." The magazine notes that the magnificent victory of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and President Aleksandar Vucic with 47% of the votes is not based on lies and deceit, as portrayed by the opposition and many Western media outlets.

Few outside Serbia mention that the satisfaction of the population with the ruling policy is significant, the magazine adds.

There are several good reasons for this. Serbia has seven million inhabitants on a territory more than twice the size of Switzerland. However, the demographic trend is still negative, with significant emigration of highly qualified experts continuing to pose problems in the country. The state counters this negative trend with significantly increased funds for families and child benefits. President Vucic has set a constant task for himself to technologically and economically catch up with the West.

On the one hand, Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic seek relaxed relations with the European Union, positioning Serbia as a candidate for membership. On the other hand, the relationship with Russia is historically, culturally, and religiously so close that this traditional pan-Slavism should not be jeopardized under any circumstances. However, Serbia is militarily neutral and incorporates the experiences of other neutral countries like Switzerland and Austria into its strategies. The country defends the principles of international law and consistently advocates for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and all other countries in the world, writes Weltwoche.

Expansion of transport network

The Serbian economy cannot and does not want to do without deliveries of Russian gas and oil, hence it does not support EU sanction packages. NATO's military pact is extremely unpopular among the Serbian population since the alleged defense alliance bombed Serbian cities and facilities in 1999, violating international law and without a UN mandate. And of course, no Serbian government can afford to leave the local Serbs in Kosovo stranded by recognizing Kosovo, where they have become a minority in just a few decades, or abandon numerous local Orthodox holy sites to the imminent destruction by Muslims.

Serbia has made astonishing progress in various areas. Since the Serbian Progressive Party took over the helm of the state in 2013, 445 kilometers of highways have been built, bringing the total highway network to 997 kilometers. These extensive road constructions significantly boost economic development. Especially important are the north-south connections A1 and A2, as well as the east-west connections A3, A4, and A5. Construction of two important road links in the north of the country began last week: the 105-kilometer highway Belgrade-Zrenjanin-Novi Sad and another significant expressway of 186 kilometers. Currently, around 460 kilometers of highways, regional, and local roads are being built or upgraded, covering approximately 700 kilometers for private transport.

Modernization and expansion of the railway network by several hundred kilometers are equally remarkable, such as the prestigious project of the pan-European railway corridor 10, which is progressing rapidly. The Danube railway corridor 7 is also of great importance. Regarding significant expenses for regional transport, Serbia has acquired train sets worth about 200 million francs from the Swiss company Stadler Rail. These relatively substantial investments in transportation infrastructure ensure employment for the population.

Outstanding progress has also been made in the field of social protection. Both average and minimum wages have significantly increased in recent years. While pensions before Vucic's government were 202 euros, they are currently 390 euros. In the same period, average monthly wages have increased from 329 to 820 euros. In contrast, unemployment has fallen from 26% in 2012 to the current 9%. While the state debt was over 100% of gross domestic product in 2001, it is now only 51.4%. The Serbian healthcare system has been significantly expanded and strengthened: 147 new hospitals and healthcare facilities have been built during Aleksandar Vucic's time.

Regarding science, the focus is on life sciences, digitalization, and artificial intelligence. Two out of four science and technology parks in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, and Cacak have been established in cooperation with Switzerland, which financially supports them. Two more parks are planned in Kragujevac and Kruševac. "BioEconomy Hub Bio4Campus" dedicated to biomedicine, biotechnology, bioinformatics, and biodiversity, is expected to be completed by 2027. About 1,200 lecturers and 4,000 students will teach, study, and research there. The Serbian government has already signed long-term contracts with various corporations and companies, such as Roche, Swissrocats, AstraZeneca, and partners like South Korea and China, which will move into Bio4Campus.

Regarding information and communication technologies, the focus is on the development and application of artificial intelligence and biotechnology. Digitalization has advanced significantly in Serbia. For example, the Serbian healthcare system, unlike the Swiss one, is fully digitized. Serbia is already an important center for artificial intelligence research. The country was the first in the Southeast European region to develop and adopt a strategy for artificial intelligence by 2025. The first license for level 3 autonomous driving in the presence of a driver has already been issued. Autonomous vehicles without drivers are planned for Expo Belgrade 2027 to provide transportation for people at the exhibition site and other logistical tasks, according to Weltwoche.

Conditions for artificial intelligence research have already been created, and foundations have been laid, for example, in the state-of-the-art State Data Center in Kragujevac or the World Economic Forum Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Belgrade. In Kragujevac, Serbian ministers have just signed a memorandum of understanding with the head of the IT department of CERN in Geneva, Enrica Maria Poncari, on the introduction and implementation of the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) computer network. After the United States and the United Kingdom, Switzerland is the third most important export market for Serbian information and communication technology (ICT) services.

Over the past five years, foreign direct investments in Serbia have ranged between 3.8 and 4.4 billion euros annually, more than in any other Balkan country. Switzerland is one of the five most significant foreign investors in Serbia. Almost 600 Swiss companies operate there, employing around 12,000 people. Companies like Nestle, Barry Callebaut, Sika, and Regent Lighting are particularly important. For years, Serbia has relied on the successful Swiss model of dual education with vocational training and accompanying vocational school, which has been particularly supported by ETH professor and education expert Ursula Renold.

Valuable bridge builders

Membership in the EU remains Serbia's strategic foreign policy goal, with the country insisting on the simultaneous preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Serbia still considers Kosovo and Metohija as part of its sovereign territory. In recent years, at least 28 countries have withdrawn recognition of Kosovo as an independent country, and there have been no new recognitions.

In a seemingly headless strategy, Switzerland recognized Kosovo as an independent state in 2008 under the leadership of then-Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey and established diplomatic relations. This was done with complete disregard for the proven Swiss tradition of recognition, which requires its own national people, clearly demarcated national territory, and consolidated state power. The fact that this state power does not exist in Kosovo is evident from the fact that Swiss military personnel have been securing peace and order there since 1999 as part of "Swisscoy." The federal government and Parliament have recently decided to extend the participation of the Swiss army in the international military mission in Kosovo (KFOR) until the end of 2026. Moreover, Swiss authorities want to increase the maximum number of personnel from 195 to an additional 30 soldiers.

Meanwhile, Serbia promotes cooperation with the United States and the EU as its most important trading partners and investors, but it also maintains good economic relations with China, Russia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

Officially, there are slightly fewer than 60,000 Serbian citizens living in Switzerland. The number of Orthodox Serbs, together with a large number of individuals who have taken Swiss citizenship, is estimated to be around 150,000 people. All of them, or most of them, have been valued as highly skilled labor and serve as bridge builders in strengthening cooperation between Switzerland and Serbia, concludes the article.