At the midnight liturgy on Christmas Eve in Belgrade, president Tadic appeared in the first row of worshippers, right next to Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic. Technically, the prince was all chummy with the man who usurped his birthright, since the republic was originally established by Communists at the expense of his father’s crown. The irony was apparently lost on both him and Tadic, as well as the TV commentators.
Absent was Prime Minister Kostunica. The following morning, Serbia found out why – he was in Kosovo, attending the liturgy in Pec served by the Serbian Patriarch.
But Serbia doesn’t have anything approaching the American political spin machine; most of its political propaganda is downright crude. Kostunica, apprarently, doesn’t even have a media manager. His visit – intensely symbolic and portentuous – had very little media impact in Serbia.
Prince Alexander didn’t make the same mistake. He and Princess Katherine made sure plenty of photos were taken during their visit on January 14.
Far be it for me to suggest that the suffering of Kosovo Serbs should be used as political or media capital. But the reality of politics insists on media management. What is the point of a symbolic visit to Kosovo, when few are made aware of the symbolism? The prince, on the other hand, properly publicized his humanitarian endeavor – hopefully, for the sake of the Kosovo Serbs and not his own.