Serbian Parliament/President/Local Elections - May 6, 2012

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Serbia's Democrats, Socialists agree new alliance

By Matt Robinson and Aleksandar Vasovic
BELGRADE | Wed May 9, 2012 9:15am EDT

(Reuters) - Serbia's reformist Democratic Party and the resurgent Socialists of late strongman Slobodan Milosevic agreed on Wednesday to renew a governing coalition that would keep the country edging towards the European Union.

The alliance locks out the opposition Serbian Progressive Party, which narrowly won a parliamentary election on Sunday, but it will need the support of another junior partner to secure a majority in the 250-seat parliament.

"They share our values," Democratic Party deputy leader Dragan Sutanovac told a news conference, referring to the Socialists. "We've been partners with these people for four years and there's no mistrust."

The two first joined forces in 2008, eight years after the Democrats swept to power with the ouster of Milosevic and tilted the former Yugoslav republic westwards following a decade of war and isolation.

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Tadic is leading in the polls ahead of the runoff vote, 52% over 48% for Nikolic.  

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Nikolic has won the runoff, though narrowly, over Tadic.  

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So what kind of President does everyone think Nikolic is going to be?  Is he going to be Putin's bitch, or is he going to continue Tadic's efforts in bringing Serbia into the European Union (and by extension, the West)?

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So it appears that Tadic and Nikolic have come to an agreement in which Tadic would remain in government as Prime Minister alongside newly-elected President Nikolic to reassure the European Union that Serbia will continue its reforms as part of its bid to join the EU:

Serbia rivals agree to cooperate on new government

Published May 28, 2012
Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia –  Serbia's new nationalist president and the liberal rival likely to be the next prime minister assured the country Monday that they could overcome deep differences and create a stable, pro-European Union government.

Tomislav Nikolic defeated his predecessor Boris Tadic in the presidential election earlier this month, and Nikolic's nationalist Progressive Party won the largest number of seats in the 250-member parliament. But because Tadic's Democrats gained enough allies to form the next Cabinet, Nikolic is expected to be forced to name Tadic as premier-designate.

The position of prime minister is stronger than that of the president, a largely ceremonial role that cannot draft laws.

The two bitter political foes met Monday, a day after Tadic announced the start of negotiations on the formation of a new government that would leave Nikolic without real power.

"We had very good talks," Tadic said. "This was a meeting not only about the transfer of power ... but about what Serbia's institutions should look like in the future."