Serb nationalist leader resigns over EU agreement
ELITSA VUCHEVA
08.09.2008 @ 09:08 CET
The acting leader of Serbia's nationalist Radical Party (SRS), Tomislav Nikolic, has resigned from his post following disagreements within his party over the country's rapprochement with the EU.
Mr Nikolic stepped down on Saturday (6 September) after announcing in an unexpected move earlier last week that his party would back the ratification in parliament of a pre-accession deal with the EU.
Mr Nikolic won the first round in the Serbian presidential elections in January, but lost to Boris Tadic in the second round (Photo: SRS)
But according to Serbian press reports, SRS leader Vojislav Seselj – currently on trial before the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague – pressed his party to drop the support for the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).
The rift created in the party saw those loyal to Mr Seselj outnumber those backing the SAA ratification and led to Mr Nikolic's resignation.
"I resigned indicating by that act that I can handle everything, but not this," he was quoted as saying by Serbian news site B92.net.
The SAA was signed in April and is a prelude to EU candidacy status for Serbia – something Brussels indicated may happen next year, provided that all conditions, notably cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal, are met.
The document is currently awaiting ratification by the Serbian parliament, with the vote expected some time this week.
The SRS is the biggest party in the parliament, holding 78 out of 250 seats, AFP reports.
However, even without their approval, the SAA is expected to be ratified as the ruling pro-Western coalition led by president Boris Tadic's Democratic Party holds a sufficient majority.
Mr Nikolic had been the acting leader of the SRS since February 2003, when Mr Seselj surrendered to the UN tribunal.
He has been generally seen as more moderate than the party's actual leader and has on occasions expressed support for his country's EU bid under certain conditions.
By contrast, Mr Seselj has been a hardline opponent to Serbia's both NATO and EU integration.
Mr Nikolic made it to the second round of the presidential elections opposing him to Boris Tadic in January, and is also seen as the main responsible for the SRS expansion in the last years.
He is to remain a member of the party and a member of the Serbian parliament.
