Serbian Premier Opposes E.U. Bid
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
BERLIN — A bitter power struggle in Serbia has sunk its chances of a speedy alliance with the European Union, just days after the reelection of President Tadic.
The pro-Western Mr. Tadic beat his euro-skeptic rival on Sunday, after promising to strengthen Serbia’s ties with the European Union and eventually secure membership in the bloc.
But only three days after his jubilant victory speech, during which he outlined his “European” vision for Serbia, Mr. Tadic has been forced to shelve his E.U. plans by his conservative prime minister, Vojislav Kostunica.
Mr. Kostunica appears to have been ready to bring down the government rather than sit back and watch as Serbia embraced a specially drawn up E.U. trade, education, and visa agreement, due to have been signed today.
His open defiance of Mr. Tadic’s wishes leaves Serbia’s president and prime minister fighting for the reins of power. Until their struggle is settled, further progress in Serbia’s quest to join the European Union appears impossible.
The split in Belgrade left E.U. officials in Brussels fuming.
“I deeply regret the obstruction by certain politicians in Belgrade in blocking the signature,” the E.U. enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn, said in an uncharacteristically direct criticism of Mr. Kostunica.
“In my view they have really failed to hear the voice of the Serbian people, who voted last Sunday in favor of Serbia’s European future,” Mr. Rehn said. “It is truly sad for Serbia if politicians continue to put power games ahead of their own citizens’ interests.”
The power struggle in Belgrade comes only days before ethnic Albanians in the southern Serbian province of Kosovo are expected to declare independence, a move likely to trigger yet more political shockwaves in the Serb capital.
It also leaves the coalition government, in which Mr. Tadic and Mr. Kostunica’s parties are nominally partners, on the verge of collapse.
“This is an exceptionally serious situation. The government is in paralysis,” Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, of Mr. Tadic’s Democratic Party, said.
The E.U. deal was widely seen as a “sweetener” to help Mr. Tadic in his re-election campaign, and to bolster his popularity immediately after his victory.
