Radical shift

Serbia’s governing parties, split on the question of how to deal with the EU in the wake of Western recognition of Kosovo’s independence, have agreed to hold a pre-term election in May. This appears to spell the end of the anti-Milosevic coalition, which opposed radical nationalists. The fault-line now is between parties putting Kosovo first and those putting the EU first. Although the latter won the presidential contest, they are unlikely to win a majority in the parliamentary poll. The hardline Serbian Radical Party looks closer than ever to gaining power.

The end of the line
Serbia’s prime minister, Vojislav Kostunica, the leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), on March 8th announced that irreconcilable differences between the DSS and its pro-EU coalition partners, the Democratic Party (DS) and G17 Plus, necessitated an early election. The leaders of the other parties quickly agreed with the assessment. It seems likely that President Boris Tadic, the DS leader, will agree to dissolve parliament, setting the stage for a pre-term general election in May, most likely in tandem with municipal elections scheduled for May 11th.

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Radical shift
Economist.com