New turn in talks on forming Serbian government

23/06/2008

The coalition led by the Socialist Party of Serbia has launched talks with the pro-European bloc headed by Serbian President Boris Tadic.

By Igor Jovanovic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade -- 23/06/08

Serbia's Socialist Party has reportedly started talks on forming a new government with President Boris Tadic's Democratic Party. [File]

Socialist Party of Serbia leader Ivica Dacic -- whose party is in a position to decide the new government coalition -- has halted negotiations on a coalition with the Serbian Radical Party and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS).

After those talks, which have been ongoing since the May 11th elections, the Socialist-led coalition started negotiations with the For a European Serbia coalition, led by President Boris Tadic's Democratic Party (DS).

Analysts say that after this crucial turn by the Socialist Party, it will not take long to organise a new government, the core of which will be Tadic's Democrats and the Socialists.

Dacic said no agreement was possible with Kostunica and the Radicals, who believe Serbia should resist EU integration until the Union members agree that Kosovo, which declared independence on February 17th, is part of Serbia.

The Socialists and their coalition partners, the Party of United Pensioners of Serbia and regional party, United Serbia, advocate immediately ratifying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU.

However, the DSS accused the Socialists of being insincere in the negotiations, describing the whole process as a "show for the public". "Governments formed at secret meetings and under the influence of tycoons and foreign ambassadors will bring Serbia no good," DSS spokesman Andreja Mladenovic said.

The DS and the Socialists held their first official meeting Saturday night. Tadic said afterward negotiators reached agreement on principles that will guide the new government, listing them as further EU integration, the fight to keep Kosovo within Serbia and economic progress.

"The sooner we form a government, the more time we will have to work on achieving its goals and on ... forming a socially responsible government," Tadic said.

Analysts say that selecting officials will not be a problem for the new government, even though the Socialists and Democrats were fierce adversaries over the past few years. Some even expect a new government by the end of June. However, the municipal politics of Belgrade, where the Socialists have already forged a coalition with the DSS and the Radicals, could be a problem.

The coalition partner of Tadic's Democrats, the G17 Plus party, has announced it will not back a government with the Socialists unless they terminate their coalition with the Radicals in Belgrade. Without G17 Plus, it will be impossible to form a new state government.