DS official hints at SNS alliance

Democratic Party (DS) Vice President Bojan Pajtic did not rule out future cooperation between his party and Tomislav Nikolic’s Serb Progressive Party (SNS). The SNS was formed several months ago as an offshoot of the Serb Radical Party (SRS). DS official hints at SNS alliance Pajtic told Novi Sad daily Dnevnik that despite his personal opinion that “one cannot become a democrat over night”, cooperation between the two parties “is not impossible in the future”. “At the founding assembly of the Progressive Party there were many ambassadors from European Union countries and other Western states. And it is obvious that the party has become acceptable to our European partners,” Pajtic elaborated. He added that what Nikolic's party stands for today is mostly supported by the DS, stressing that the former Radicals have abandoned “the ideal of creating a greater Serbia through war, anti-European ideology and chauvinism as a policy”. Pajtic also told the daily that the contract for the sale of NIS to Russia's Gazprom and the determining of the initial price was "practically done by the previous government of Vojislav Kostunica". The DS official, who is chairman of the Vojvodina executive council, said that politically, it would not be beneficial for Serbia to break the energy arrangement with Russia, and that the deal was "significantly improved” by the current government.

DS official hints at SNS alliance

Pajtić told Novi Sad daily Dnevnik that despite his personal opinion that “one cannot become a democrat over night”, cooperation between the two parties “is not impossible in the future”.

“At the founding assembly of the Progressive Party there were many ambassadors from European Union countries and other Western states. And it is obvious that the party has become acceptable to our European partners,” Pajtić elaborated.

He added that what Nikolić's party stands for today is mostly supported by the DS, stressing that the former Radicals have abandoned “the ideal of creating a greater Serbia through war, anti-European ideology and chauvinism as a policy”.

Pajtić also told the daily that the contract for the sale of NIS to Russia's Gazprom and the determining of the initial price was "practically done by the previous government of Vojislav Koštunica".

The DS official, who is chairman of the Vojvodina executive council, said that politically, it would not be beneficial for Serbia to break the energy arrangement with Russia, and that the deal was "significantly improved” by the current government.