Serbia chairs Europe rights body

By Nick Hawton
BBC News, Belgrade

Concerns have been raised over Mr Nikolic's election as speaker

Serbia is to take over the chairmanship of the Council of Europe despite concerns that the country is abandoning attempts at political reform.

The council is Europe's leading body monitoring human rights and justice.

Serbia takes over the council's chairmanship as part of the normal rotation among its member nations.

On Wednesday, a hardline nationalist was elected to the powerful position of speaker of the Serbian parliament.

Serbia will chair the Committee of Ministers and issue a programme of priorities for its six month chairmanship.

But serious concerns have been raised about Serbia's suitability to take on the role.

As Serbia takes over the chairmanship, Montenegro will join the body as its 47th member at a special ceremony at the council's headquarters in Strasbourg.

No government

Tomaslav Nikolic, who has made no made no secret of his suspicions of European institutions, is the Serbian parliament's new speaker.

He is from the Serbian Radical party, whose leader is currently in the Hague facing war crimes charges.

The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe said Mr Nikolic's election was a burden on Serbia's ability to carry out its role as chair of the council.

Serbia itself is in the midst of a political crisis.

There is no government three months after a general election and tensions are likely to rise in coming weeks as a final decision on the future status of Kosovo nears.