Acknowledgements

1. The Rise of Aleksandar Vučić
The Origin of the Book
The Rise of Aleksandar Vučić
“You Will Not Come to This Show Alive”
The First Million… and a Few More
A Ten-Minute Meeting on Economic Reforms
Keynesian Economics for Fools

2. Overview of the Political Economy of Serbia Prior to 2012
Serbia as Part of Yugoslavia (1918–1989)
Serbia Under Milošević (1990–2000)
The Fall of Milošević and the DOS Coalition (2000–2012)
Serbia under Aleksandar Vučić (2012–2014)

3. Extractive Institutions
The FAP Workers’ Protest
Is It Rational to Delay Reforms?
The Etihad Contract
Fast Lane Economy

4. Party Patronage
The Meeting at the Delfi Bookstore
“I’ll Put Together a Fabulous Team”
The First Meeting of the Team
Party Patronage in the Ministry of Economy
The Car, the Office, and the Secretary
Coping with Party Patronage in the Ministry

5. The Four Economic Policy Strategies
A Rich Friend Comes to Help
“Only a Madman Would Abolish Subsidies”
The Meeting with the Galenika Creditors
Michelin “Invests” in Serbia
The Fiat Subsidy Per Car
Where Are the Contracts with Gorenje?
The Frankenstein Ministry

6. Inside the Money-Wasting Machine
The Emergence of SIEPA
“We Have Never Done That”
Civil Servants in the Serbian Public Administration
Protection
The Development Fund
Figures in the Ballpark
The Fund’s Clients

7. Privatization
Privatization as a Part of the Money-Wasting Machine
Privatization: The Second Run
The 2001 Privatization Law
The Enterprises in Restructuring
The “ID Cards”
More is Less?
Less is More?
The Five Steps
“Hang On, Are We Supposed to Read Those?”
Privatization of Vršački Vinogradi
A Firm for a Luxurious Chocolate Box
The Privatization Agency
“Give Me Back My Money!”

8. The ....