Serbian nationalists take on social issues

The Kosovo question was not responsible for the victory of Serbian nationalist Tomislav Nikolic in the first round of the presidential elections, suggests Serbia correspondent Andrej Ivanji. On 3 February, Nikolic takes on the incumbent, pro-western President Boris Tadic. "Nikolic managed to win over millions of impoverished, unhappy and hopeless voters: the jobless who lost out in the transition; people who can't afford to buy new clothing for their children; youths with no prospects for the future, who have grown up in war and international isolation; retirees who live below the poverty level. This time, instead of employing extremist nationalist rhetoric, Nikolic concentrated mostly on populist socialistic slogans. And it worked. These days, fewer people than ever believe in the hasty promises of pro-European politicians that openness to Europe would bring milk and honey flowing into Serbia."

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