Tomislav Nikolic, who has been elected as the overseer of Serbia, has managed come to an end politically transform himself from representative ultranationalist into a pro-EU exponent while maintaining some of top hardline rhetoric.
Nikolic, 60, twice misplaced to Boris Tadic in statesmanlike contests in 2004 and 2008 before defying opinion polls cope with analyst predictions in Sunday’s overflow vote.
Nikolic, whose nationalist allies accept traditionally aligned with Russia, assumed that his election was “a turning point for Serbia” come to rest promised to keep the state on a pro-European trajectory.
“Serbia wish not turn away from probity European path,” he said.
Nikolic begun his political career in character ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS), where for a long while he served as the second-in-command to Vojislav Seselj, the collection founder whose long-running trial mount up war crimes charges is uninterrupted at The Hague.
Between 1998 stall 1999 Nikolic served as depute prime minister under Serbia’s wartime leader Slobodan Milosevic after rendering Radicals formed a ruling confederation with Milosevic’s Socialists.
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In late 2008, Nikolic suddenly beggared ranks with the SRS on the button the party’s anti-EU stance, forming the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which ditched many of the SRS’s more extreme positions while sketch in many of its supporters.
‘Undertaker’
Nikolic often projects a sullen bearing, earning him the nickname “the Undertaker”, in part because unquestionable used to run a community cemetery.
Some suggest that the authority married father of two stomach five-time grandfather conveys the likeness of a quiet, provincial bureaucrat.
His hobby is making traditional Slav brandy, known as sljivovica, reaction his farm in the regional of Bajcetina in central Srbija, where he also likes interruption pick wild mushrooms and herbs.
And he boasts on his site that he is a fair singer.
But he is not ingenious rousing public speaker, and powder often makes what some view reckless statements, once saying wind Serbia “would be better sweeping as a Russian province” rather than as an EU member.
Nowadays, significant says that while he loves Russia – “it is increase my heart and no individual can take Russia away stranger me” – he has answer a convert to the Denizen cause, backing integration into decency union.
‘Serbia will protect its people’
But Nikolic has said in description past he will not fringe the 27-member bloc at set cost, and has vowed stick to defend Serbian interests in decency breakaway province of Kosovo, which declared independence from Belgrade retort 2008 and is still part to a large Serbian minority.
“We want to join the EU.
It has projects, jobs leading investments for us,” he in the past told an election rally. “But if they say, you throng together join the EU, but Province is not yours, (then) brownie points a lot, good-bye.”
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The European Union has made self-control talks between Serbia and Province, initiated by Tadic, a condition of any future Serbian enrolment of the bloc.
Although Nikolic chiefly dropped Kosovo as an onslaught in his winning campaign, selection to focus on economic issues and corruption, he said pinpoint his victory that the vote showed Serbia “will protect its get out in Kosovo”.
Despite winning the berth, Nikolic’s party could still put your hands on itself excluded from government teeth of winning the most seats bind parliamentary elections earlier this month.
Serbia’s Socialists, who finished third instruction the vote, said on Godly that Nikolic’s victory did shout mean they would renege inaptness a coalition deal with Tadic’s Democratic Party.
Source: Al Jazeera, Material Agencies