BELGRADE, Serbia — Socialist leader Ivica Dacic won a mandate Thursday to form a new Serbian government, marking a full-scale return of the late Slobodan Milosevic’s former allies to power for the first time since the autocrat’s ouster in the face of popular protest in 2000.
President Tomislav Nikolic formally approved Dacic as prime minister-designate to lead the new coalition government that would include the socialists, Nikolic’s nationalists and a small center-right party.
Although Nikolic and his nationalists claim to have shifted from being staunchlyanti-Western to pro-European Union, a new nationalist-dominated government is likely to stall Serbia’s proclaimed EUmembership bid and increase Russian influence in the Balkans. The nationalists are backed by the Kremlin.
“Today, Serbia is changing,” Nikolic said after meeting with Dacic. “Serbian citizens voted for changes.” Serbia’s parliament still needs to formally approve the new government.
The new coalition represents another blow to Democrat leader Boris Tadic, who was ousted in the May presidential election. The Democrats are Serbia’s biggest pro-European party.
Front Section, Pages 6 on 06/29/2012