Europe's wounded flank
RECENT elections in Serbia can have far-reaching consequences. The next government of Serbia will have a say on Kosovo's future status, the evolution of the European Union, Russia's relations with Europe, and the degree to which the overwhelmingly Muslim Albanian population of Kosovo feels at home in Europe.
Democratic Party of President Boris Tadic and the Democratic Party of Serbia of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica are in position to form a pro-European coalition government able to renew suspended negotiations on accession to the EU. But first, EU officials commendably insist, Serbia must hand over General Ratko Mladic, who has been indicted by an International Tribunal for war crimes in Bosnia.
Cooperation with the tribunal is a test case for Serbia and for the EU. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the lure of EU acceptance has had a transformational effect on would-be members, causing them to adopt pluralist politics, free speech, freedom of religion, minority rights, and the rule of law.
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