If you're creative enough, you can always pull out an indicator, even artificial, to show progress. For example GDP increase during a period in absolute values. That doesn't make any sense without considering size/population of Serbia and Croatia and what's that in relative terms. Or the average salary in Serbia and Bulgaria. Yes, they're comparable, but key items are cheaper in Bulgaria, as well as taxes. The average salary in Sofia is also much higher then in Belgrade, and the lowest pension is higher than in Serbia. You get the picture, you can always dig up a metric and declare a glorious victory of our people led by our fearless leader.

Not to mention the government has some genuinely skilled professionals, beside sheer lunatics like Vulin, the minister of interior. By professionals I mean manipulators like the minister of finance. He's a skilled manipulator, even tied to Panama Papers, domestic violence, illegal demolition and a boat load of concealed wealth. If I had the need to produce some good quality smoke and mirrors, he would be the first guy I would call.

Yes, as carefully orchestrated by the Croatian government, who got its EU/Nato friends to make everything maximally hard for the Serbian people and economy.

Or, at least, that's how I assume the narrative goes?