Serbs fear more party wrangling

By Helen Fawkes
BBC News, Belgrade

The result is a clear boost for Serbia's EU chances

For many voters, this is a pivotal moment for Serbia.

This country appears to be a step closer to the EU.

''I feel more European as a result of the election,'' says Andrej Nosov, leader of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia.

''There is hope that we are going to move forward towards better lives and not back to the isolation that we faced in the 1990s. It's a good feeling.''

The newspapers in Serbia seem to agree.

''Historic victory for European Serbia'' and ''Serbia for Europe'' are just some of the headlines.

In one of the shops on the main square in Belgrade, you can even buy white handbags with the words, ''Hey, what is Europe without Serbia?''

Revival hopes

The parliamentary election was viewed as a referendum on this former Yugoslav republic and whether it should continue on its path towards membership of the EU.

Supporters of the president's pro-Western alliance say they feel that they have done their European duty and delivered a strong mandate.

For them this was not just a political choice, it was a vote for a European future, with the promise of better jobs, more international investment and easier foreign travel.

The ballot was sparked by the thorny issue of Kosovo.

Three months ago the Serbian province declared independence.

There was considerable anger that Kosovo was then recognised as an independent country by most EU states.

The political shockwaves brought down the government in Belgrade.

It was a bitter campaign for Sunday's snap election and it polarised the country.

''What is most worrying is that there has been tough rhetoric and dangerous warnings from the politicians. There is now a sharp division of Serbia, which may lead to politically and socially risky situations,'' says a prominent political commentator, Bratislav Grubacic.

Blow to nationalists

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the ballot was the outcome for the hardline nationalists, the Radical Party.

The party of Milosevic has emerged as a real player Andrej Nosov Leader of Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia

Going into the election, the party, which advocates halting European integration and looking more towards Russia for co-operation, led the opinion polls. But it did much worse than expected.

''This is sad for us and bad for our democratic country. The voters have fallen for empty promises that just can't be delivered,'' says Ivan Sasic, a Radical Party voter.

However the pro-Western alliance of President Tadic did not win enough seats for a majority, so a coalition will have to be formed.

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) seems an obvious choice as a coalition partner, but it may not be enough.

The Socialist Party of the late Slobodan Milosevic, which is expected to get around 20 seats, could prove to be the kingmaker.

''The party of Milosevic has emerged as a real player, and it's still possible that the nationalists could establish a majority. These are not positive developments for our democracy,'' says Mr Nosov.

The Radicals are confident that they will be able to return to power. They were last in government with Milosevic.

Difficult and lengthy negotiations lie ahead.

It will be hard for either side to come up with a convincing majority, so the next coalition government is likely to be unstable.

Following the parliamentary election last year, it took months before Serbia had a new government.

''We need the coalition to be agreed quickly. It really needs to happen this week for the sake of the people and country. I am worried that if it takes too long, we may face more elections," said Mr Sasic.