Belgrade
Serbia’s first election since Slobodan Milosevic’s party was thrown out of power, three years ago, has ended in victory for the extreme nationalists. The ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party became the largest group in parliament, winning 82 of the 250 seats—despite the fact that the party’s head, former paramilitary leader Vojislav Seselj, is awaiting trial in The Hague on charges of war crimes. Milosevic’s party, which also has a nationalist bent, took 22 seats, even though the former dictator is also on trial for genocide and crimes against humanity. The extremists’ win is a blow to pro-democracy Serbs, some of whom are blaming the international tribunal in The Hague. If Milosevic and Seselj had been tried at home in Serbia, they say, the two men would not have been able to portray themselves as persecuted by foreigners. The ultranationalists do not apologize for the ethnic cleansing of the 1990s and support a “Greater Serbia” populated only by Serbs.
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.
-
Shompole Wilderness Camp: reconnect with nature at this secluded retreatThe Week Recommends This luxurious family-run camp in southern Kenya has access to more than 350,000 acres of pristine savannah
-
Liberation Day: will Keir Starmer surrender to Donald Trump's tariffs?Today's Big Question After failing to secure exemptions for the UK, PM must decide whether to retaliate or not
-
Cosy cabins for a country escapeThe Week Recommends Slow down and take in the nature at these secluded retreats
