KALUŽA: THE REPUBLIC IS NOT TIKTOK - LESSON STANIVUKOVIĆ STILL HASN'T LEARNED

BANJA LUKA, NOVEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - Banja Luka Mayor Draško Stanivuković's statement that "Milorad Dodik has betrayed Serbia" is not merely a political gaffe; it reveals the depth of misunderstanding between serious politics and the kind that some perceive as a media performance, political analyst Luciano Kaluža told SRNA.

"Just before the entire region clearly saw confirmation of the cooperation between Republika Srpska and Serbia, when even the highest officials in Belgrade openly spoke about support for Republika Srpska and the personal involvement of President Aleksandar Vučić and Foreign Minister Marko Đurić in the processes that led to the lifting of US sanctions, the mayor of the largest city in Republika Srpska chose to fabricate a story," Kaluža stated.

He said that this fabrication doesn't say much about Milorad Dodik, Vučić, or Serbia, but it does speak about Stanivuković.

"It speaks about a man who has replaced the public sphere with the realm of TikTok, where reactions and political `importance` are measured by the number of likes, not by the weight of responsibility. Serious politics is not a `story`; it is a process. It does not last 24 hours, but decades. If Draško Stanivuković were a serious politician, he would know that," Kaluža pointed out.

He reminded that Stanivuković had the opportunity to demonstrate statesmanlike responsibility when he was invited to be part of a national unity government at a time when Republika Srpska was under the greatest pressure in the past ten years.

"Had he said `yes` then, it would not have been an act of submission, but an act of maturity. It would have been proof that even the opposition, when it comes to Republika Srpska, knows where the boundaries of party interest end and those of national interest begin. But he did not say `yes`. Instead, he chose to act in front of cameras and in colorful videos, pretending to show courage and seriousness that he himself does not even understand," Kaluža emphasized.

And now, Kaluža added, having been shown that his claims about "secret agreements with America" were mere fabrications, denied in the very heart of Belgrade by none other than Miloš Vučević himself, Stanivuković owes the public at least an acknowledgment that he was wrong.

"That would not be an admission of weakness, but a sign that he understands the essence of politics - that mistakes can happen, but responsibility lies in correcting them, not repeating them. Yet it is difficult to expect someone who entered the political arena through a `spectacle` to grasp the silence and seriousness required by statecraft. And this is precisely where the difference between politics as responsibility and politics as a game becomes evident," Kaluža said.

He emphasized that Republika Srpska and Serbia are today engaged in serious dialogue, developing projects, planning investments, and jointly defending their economic, cultural, and political space amid complex international circumstances, and in this process, there is no room for improvisation or false heroes.

According to him, Stanivuković's attempt to obscure this reality with a cheap political performance is not only irresponsible; it is dangerous, because every time someone tries to cast doubt on the relationship between Republika Srpska and Serbia, they are striking at what makes us secure.

He pointed out that the political and national security of Republika Srpska does not rest on populism, but on trust, seriousness, and statesmanship.

"Perhaps this is precisely what Draško Stanivuković still needs to learn: that seriousness does not come with age, but with responsibility. And until he learns that - neither Republika Srpska nor Banja Luka needs new `influencers`. What they need are people who understand that words carry weight, and that spoken lies carry consequences," Kaluža concluded.