Serbia between East and West

Over the past decade politics in Serbia has moved away from ethnic nationalism and in the direction of an open, market oriented democracy. President Boris Tadic is as pro-western as the current Serbian political landscape is likely to permit. The progressive Democratic Party (DS) led coalition government has strengthened civic society, stepped up cooperation with The Hague to bring accused Serbian war criminals to justice and undertaken reforms across the board to comply with requirements of coveted EU membership. Serbia has become a more responsible player in regional affairs and has boosted political and economic relations with her neighbours; as a result, the security situation in the region is relatively stable. The issue of Kosovo independence will be difficult to resolve. President Tadic must show his pro-western stance is delivering economic benefits to Serbia, most visibly through EU accession, before he can begin to disgorge Kosovo.