# Aleksandar Vučić

Aleksandar Vučić (Serbian: Александар Вучић) (born 5 March 1970) is a Serbian politician serving as the president of Serbia since 2017 and as the president of the populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since 2012. Vučić served as the Prime Minister of Serbia in two terms, from 2014 to 2016 and from 2016 until 2017, as well as the deputy prime minister from 2012 until 2014. Furthermore, Vučić served as a member of the Serbian parliament, Minister of Information from 1998 to 2000, and later as Minister of Defence from 2012 to 2013.

## Quotes

* I didn’t really have a lot of achievements, and what I am proud of today is hard work. I am proud of never having been lazy. As far as results are concerned, I can tell you that the fight against corruption and the economic reforms are what I am most proud of now, but looking back at that period – it is most certain that I have never been lazy and have never acted against my country.
** Interview with Aleksandar Vucic: ‘We’re not asking for mercy, but reforming Serbia’ (29 October 2014), London School of Economics
* Extremist ideas are something that will kill us all in the Balkans, something that will ruin our still very fragile democratic societies.
** Aleksandar Vučić: Let’s not go back to the ’90s (14 April 2016), POLITICO
* And we have no limits, no restrictions on any of the social networks, unlike many Western European countries. We have 78 to 79 percent of our population using social networks. People just have their phones. And they have all different news in their phones.
** AP Interview: Serbia’s leader vows to lead nation into EU (13 October 2017), Associated Press
* Serbs are very much attracted by the Western living standards, the standards of people. That’s why they like Germans. Because they bring their factories, they bring their plants to this country. They respect them very much. And the way of living is something that is preferable in the West than in the East, no doubt.
** Interview with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (3 October 2018), The Washington Post
* It is very difficult to tackle people’s sentiments and people’s emotions. But this is our job to do it, to do everything in a very rational and realistic way.
** Interview with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (3 October 2018), The Washington Post
* The Russians have their interests and we have ours. The Russians don't make us any gifts, but they have given us a good price.
** Interview with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (22 November 2019), Der Spiegel
* What I'm wondering is this: Why did the West open a Pandora's box in 2008 by recognizing Kosovo?
** Interview with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (22 November 2019), Der Spiegel
* See, you say that Serbia will recognise the independence of Kosovo to get Republika Srpska in return. That's not going to happen. None of that is real nor good nor we need it, and this is all I can say about it. I refuse to speak about something that does not exist. We don't need the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
** Vucic: Serbia will not recognise Kosovo to get Republika Srpska in return (19 April 2020), N1
* We believe it is in the best interest of (Kosovo) Albanians and the international community ... to talk about a free flow of capital, people and services.
** Serbia to keep balancing West, Russia and China, president says (11 June 2020), Reuters
* Every time since 2014, when I first became the Prime Minister, we have had protests after every election. That is probably due to the influence of the social networks in which those people hide in closed-off political circles, ones in which they do not notice anyone else, where they love to listen to only what they want to hear and see. At the same time, that group of people, who held those protests, has continued to live in an echo chamber and, due to their false projections, were never able to recognize where the majority was. This political minority never understood what people in Serbia wanted, as it was easier for them to believe that they were the majority just because they surround themselves with those who think in the same way they do.
** EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: President Aleksandar Vucic aims to get Serbia back on the world stage and this time will not allow it to be cast as a villain (23 July 2020), The Pavlovic Today
* If you live in a small country which is geographically at the crossroads, then your policy should be maintain peace and stability, either by not having arguments with anyone, which is impossible, or having arguments with everyone equally.
** Serbia's Vucic plays down hopes for quick political deal with Kosovo (22 September 2020), Reuters
* Serbia is on its European path, but Serbia has to live, and has friends in the U.S. but it also has friends and it is not ashamed of them in Moscow and in Beijing.
** Serbia's Vucic plays down hopes for quick political deal with Kosovo (22 September 2020), Reuters
* Sometimes we have to protect our military neutrality by being all alone.
** Serbia's Vucic plays down hopes for quick political deal with Kosovo (22 September 2020), Reuters
* The most important thing is that we show determination to continue the dialogue and that we will always try to solve everything by talking. I want to believe that it is possible.
** Excerpts of Address (16 June 2021)
* We ask for a clear answer to the question I've been asking my interlocutors, leaders of many countries for years - what is the difference between the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, which was grossly violated, and for which you provided international recognition and legitimacy, at least some of you? Nobody has ever provided a rational answer to that question.
** Statement at the General Debate of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (22 September 2022)
* We don't have children to throw away, we have to protect Serbia. If only we hadn't participated in all the wars of the 20th century, we would be bigger than the Netherlands. We have to try to preserve peace, but not give away what is ours.
** Vučić at 14th anniversary of the SNS: "Serbia is stronger. Surrender isn't an option." (21 October 2022), B92
* Serbia has not and will not export weapons to Ukraine.
** "Serbia Has Not And Will Not Export Weapons To Ukraine, Says Vucic", Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 13 April 2023

## External links

* Media related to Aleksandar Vučić on Wikimedia Commons
* Encyclopedic article on Aleksandar Vučić on Wikipedia