European Forum

Serbian Deputy PM resigns after EU postpones candidacy decision

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Bozidar Djelic submitted his resignation on Friday 9 December after Brussels once again delayed the decision on the country’s EU candidacy status. The European Council decided to examine Serbia’s candidacy again in March, when especially the relationship with Kosovo will have to be improved. In August, Djelic had promised to resign if Serbia would not obtain candidacy status this December.

Djelic is a member of the Democratic Party and went to Paris and Harvard as a student of economics. In 2001 he became Serbia’s minister of finance after having campaigned with the Democratic Party. He withdrew from politics two years later, after introducing various successful reforms. In 2006, he returned in politics as the Prime Minsterial candidate of the Democratic Party. After tough coalition negotiations, he became Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration.

Serbia’s Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic has asked Djelic to withdraw his resignation. "The resignation is his personal act, but that act is not connected to his contribution to EU integration," Cvetkovic said, adding that “I do not think he did a bad job.” Djelic has refused to withdraw his resignation.

President Boris Tadic has announced that his country will not give up on its European future: "Regardless whether Europe has a problem with enlargement, Serbia belongs to Europe, culturally and economically, as well as in the domain of politics, security, and in every other way," Tadic told reporters after the EU summit. However, he added that Serbia will not recognize Kosovo implicitly or explicitly. Serbian opposition parties have called for early elections in which the future of the country should be decided upon. Serbia's ruling Democrats had been counting on obtaining EU candidacy before elections in the country, due to be held in spring.

Sources: B92, BalkanInsight, BalkanInsight, Tanjug, Tanjug, Image.