Momčilo Đorgović
EAST OF WEST
WEST OF EAST
Reports from the storm of Serbian politics
This is the inside story of political life in Serbia, over the last ten years. The texts presented
here were published in the Belgrade political weekly Nedeljni Telegraf between 1997 and 2007, in
the column, Editor’s Notes. From week to week I observed, interpreted, criticised, and predicted
(with some accuracy) the political and social consequences of the events which shook the
country’s political stage over this period.
The texts are divided into eight chapters (The Swamp, Kosovo, Before the Fall, Autumn Hope,
Brave New World, Show down Kostunica vs Djindjic, Mafia, Illusions as usual), each of which
focuses on themes and events over the past ten years which have passed but which have not led
us out of the state of crisis or made it any clearer whether we will turn
East or West, or chose some third way for ourselves, living pro-western lives under the protection
of the east. It is because of these fundamental Serbian dilemmas, which have manifested
themselves in every political crisis to hit the country over the past two-hundred years,
that I have decided to call the book, East of West, West of East.
(From Foreword)
Momcilo Djorgovic has been the owner and editor-in-chief of the Belgrade political weekly
Nedeljni Telegraf since 1994. From 1996 to date he has written leaders for this paper
which was the first privately owned independent political weekly in the country with the
widest circulation and significant influence.
The paper is distributed in the European Union, The USA and Canada. Nedeljni Telegraf
introduced modern content and advances in design into Serbian journalism and has publicly
aired a series of burning issues, confronting Serbian society with an image of itself that
conservative forces do not like.
Momcilo Djorgovic has been an editor and journalist in Belgrade and Zagreb papers,
in Borba, Nasa Borba and the weekly Danas.
He published a book of conversations with the Communist dissident Milovan Djilas,
Rebel and Heretic which broke the political and media blockade around Djilas and
returned him to the political life of the country.
The book is available at the Editorial office of Nedeljni Telegraf,
Beograd, Cara Uroša 9;
Price: 500 dinars
