The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

In the eight years since the ouster of Slobodan Milosevic, Serbia has been politically divided between those who would take it forward to the European Union (EU) and those who espouse policies reminiscent of the Milosevic era. Kosovo’s declaration of independence strengthened nationalist forces, but ensuing presidential and parliamentary elections produced remarkable victories for pro-Europe reformers led by President Boris Tadic’s Democratic Party (DS).

The election results have cleared a political path for reform. For the first time since 2000, Vojislav Kostunica’s Democratic Party of Serbia is not part of the ruling coalition, instead joining nationalist parties in opposition. The new government, in which the DS is joined by longtime partner G-17 Plus and, remarkably, the Serbian Socialist Party originally founded and headed by Slobodan Milosevic, champions pro-Europe economic, social and governmental reforms. The government has already taken steps to demonstrate to the international community and the electorate that Serbia is on a new course, the most notable being the arrest and extradition of indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic to The Hague. Belgrade has thus met one of the key criteria to proceed with the EU accession process. Its continued European integration depends on the arrest of Ratko Mladic and ultimately on the posture that Belgrade takes with respect to Kosovo.

Political Party Strengthening

Nonpartisan Domestic Election Monitoring

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