Unlikely Serb allies put to the test

The prime minister will find it hard to keep the coalition on message Back in 2000, no-one could have predicted that those ousted from office in a popular uprising would overcome their Balkan pride to work with the very men they had come to hate. Equally, no-one must be more surprised than supporters of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SP) over the choice - some would even say betrayal - their party leaders made when deciding to join the coalition led by the Democratic Party (DS) of President Boris Tadic. Serbia's new coalition government - approved in parliament on Monday - represents the triumph of pragmatism over ideology and an apparent break with the past. To many Serbs who have seen their country relegated to the back of the Balkan queue to join the European Union, the pledge of restarting their journey must be... [read full story]