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Serbia Closer to Joining European Union after Sunday’s General Election
Serbia took to the polls on Sunday in the country’s snap general election and President Boris Tadic seemed to secure a win for his alliance aiming to join the European Union.
The election was seen as a defining moment in the country’s ideology as Tadic has favored a move towards the EU while several nationalist parties have shied away from such a move, declaring a pro-western alliance would cause significant problems with Kosovo.
In February Kosovo declared its independence, a move that Serbia’s government has refused to accept yet most western countries have recognized. Tadic believes that Serbia can join the EU and continue its hard-line stance against an independent Kosovo yet the nationalists have said that belief is naïve.
It could be more than three months before a new government is formed and while Tadic’s bloc secured nearly 40 percent of the vote they will still need to appeal to other parties to hold a majority. That could be challenged by ultra-nationalist leader Tomislav Nikolic. Nikolic’s Radical Party grabbed 29 percent of the vote and if he is able to align with other nationalist parties they could still form the majority of parliament.
The nationalists are adamantly opposed to joining the European Union, believing it would only open the door for a recognized independent Kosovo.
ELECTION RESULTS
Tadic bloc: 38.75%, 102 seats
Radicals: 29.2%, 77 seats
Kostunica bloc: 11.3%, 30 seats
Socialist bloc: 7.6%, 20 seats
Liberal Democrats: 5.3%, 14 seats
Ethnic minorities: 2.3%, seven seats
Total seats: 250. Parties forming a coalition need to have at least 126 between them
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