Belgrade, Serbia
The Serbian parliament elected a radical hard-liner as speaker this week, signaling a return to ultranationalist policies. Tomislav Nikolic was an ally of the late President Slobodan Milosevic, the architect of the bloody Balkan wars of the 1990s. He advocates shunning the European Union and keeping close ties with Russia. He also says he will order military intervention in Kosovo if the ethnic Albanian–populated province becomes independent, as U.N. envoys have recommended. “Nikolic epitomizes war, isolation, and misery,” said Cedomir Jovanovic, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. He called on Serbia’s pro-Western president, Boris Tadic, to dissolve the parliament and call new elections.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
