Serbian opposition leader steps down
Posted
The leader of Serbia's main opposition group, the Radical Party, has resigned after senior party members refused to back the Government's efforts to join the European Union.
Last week Tomislav Nikolic persuaded his party to approve the ratification of an important agreement with Brussels.
For the past five years Mr Nikolic has steered his party towards the centre of Serbian politics, focusing on social issues such as unemployment and poverty rather than the fiery nationalism of the past.
But his endorsement of the Stability and Association Agreement signed earlier this year, still awaiting ratification by the Serbian Parliament, was a bridge too far for many of his party colleagues.
A meeting of the party leadership on Friday night (local time) reversed the decision to endorse the agreement with Brussels.
Hard-liners in the party believe the agreement is tantamount to abandoning Serbia's claims to Kosovo.
- BBC
