Serbian government rejects Kostunica's anti-EU move

SERBIA: SERBIA'S TOTTERING coalition government yesterday voted down an attempt by nationalist prime minister Vojislav Kostunica to rule out any deal with the European Union until it revokes recognition of the independence of Kosovo.

The cabinet split two to one against endorsing a motion raised by the opposition Radicals and backed by Mr Kostunica's party, with 15 ministers against and seven for the anti-EU motion.

"I appeal to the parties who drafted the resolution to withdraw their proposal," Serbia's pro-EU president, Boris Tadic, said. Ministers of his Democratic Party, he said, "will continue with the policy of EU integration" without destabilising the coalition. But he warned that "the government will fall" if nationalists try to oust the Democrat speaker of parliament.

Mr Kostunica's minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samardzic, said the government had "entered a deep crisis". "It is clear that there no longer exists a common policy on European integration and Kosovo." No major party in Serbia is ready to concede the loss of Kosovo, whose 90 per cent Albanian majority declared independence on February 17th. But pro-western parties do not want to go as far as ending Serbia's EU membership bid.

They have so far kept the resolution out of parliament, where nationalists have enough votes to pass it.

In a challenge to Mr Kostunica, Mr Tadic said that if the EU were to offer Serbia a stabilisation and association agreement right now, then "I would sign it". Serbia has already initialled the pact, which is considered the first step to EU membership. But it is now last in the queue of Balkan countries seeking membership. -

© 2008 Reuters

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times