Vucic: In economic terms, I love America; the state cannot help everyone

President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, stated that Serbia was making economic progress despite various challenges, and also that social measures, such as assistance to mothers, were good because the money returned to the state through consumption, however, he said that he was aware that the state should not assist everyone. This is why, as he says, he loves America in economic terms.

"I am against the idea that the state must help everyone with everything. That's why, in economic terms, I love America – you work, and you earn as much as you work. They have social measures, but they are not proportional to those in Scandinavian countries or Mediterranean countries," Vucic said for RTS in response to the observation that his economic policy seemed closer to liberalism than the concept of a welfare state.

He added that measures to support mothers with children up to 16 years old were good because they would spend that money on their children, which would, in turn, return to the state through consumption.

He noted that all forms of assistance did affect inflation, but that Serbia had an anti-inflationary effect through other measures.

Vucic also mentioned that Serbia was making economic progress despite various problems, adding that the war in Ukraine was draining the domestic economy and that he hoped that inflation in Serbia, currently at 11.5%, would decrease to 8%.

The President of Serbia also noted that more could be achieved in discussions and agreements with the United States than with Europeans.

"More can be achieved in negotiations and agreements with the United States than with Europeans, frankly speaking, because at least some of them are trying to see things more realistically," Vucic said when asked if America was an ally of Serbia in a constructive resolution of the Kosovo issue.

Vucic mentioned that Senator Robert Menendez, who, as he said, was accused of theft and crime and was the biggest Albanian lobbyist in the United States after Eliot Engel, had prevented Serbia from obtaining hammers that had been agreed upon with America at favorable prices.

Nevertheless, as he stated, 66 of the agreed-upon 118 hammers have arrived in Serbia.