DS becomes fully-fledged SI member

The Democratic Party (DS) has become a fully-fledged member of the Socialist International (SI), says DS official Milos Jevtic. The DS has, to all intents and purposes, been a fully-fledged member since 2005, when the SI’s ethics committee took such a decision, but the recommendation needed to be officially adopted at this year’s congress in Athens. DS becomes fully-fledged SI member “In the meantime, we have been functioning these last three years as a fully-fledged de facto member, and the best example of that is the fact that the DS has in that time applied for membership of the Party of European Socialists, with the formal condition for an application being membership of the International,” Jevtic explained. The only difference now after the congress is that the DS can now delegate its members in various SI forums, committees and bodies. Jevtic said that Nebojsa Covic’s Social Democratic Party was proposed as a member in 2005, but was not offered full membership in Athens this week. Republic of Srpska leader Milorad Dodik’s Union of Independent Social Democrats was also accepted into the SI at this year’s congress. Meanwhile, the leader of Slovenia’s largest leftist party, the Party of Social Democrats, Borut Pahor, said that the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) must change its policies if it wants to become a member of the organization. Commenting on a letter written by Bosnian SDP President Zlatko Lagumdzija calling on “sister parties” in the region to block the SPS’s bid to join the SI, he said that “a very realistic situation was at stake.” “From what I understand, the interest of European social democrats was for President [Boris] Tadic to form a government oriented towards Europe, and to find partners that will help him implement reforms that are expected and desired by the European Union,” Pahor said. He added that “in the end, it turned out that this could be the SPS, which has had its doors closed to European social democrats up until now.” “Nor were we in favor of accepting them because of some of the views that party has had on certain issues,” Pahor explained. “For us, it is really important that Tadic forms a coalition, which means that the SPS is changing, because it cannot be a serious partner in the coalition without changing,” he said. “If these changes lead to the desired goals, I think that the party will be able to join the SI, and one day even be an observer in the European Social Democrats--whose presidency I am a member of--once Serbia becomes a member of the European Union,” Pahor said.

DS becomes fully-fledged SI member

“In the meantime, we have been functioning these last three years as a fully-fledged de facto member, and the best example of that is the fact that the DS has in that time applied for membership of the Party of European Socialists, with the formal condition for an application being membership of the International,” Jevtić explained.

The only difference now after the congress is that the DS can now delegate its members in various SI forums, committees and bodies.

Jevtić said that Nebojša Čović’s Social Democratic Party was proposed as a member in 2005, but was not offered full membership in Athens this week.

Republic of Srpska leader Milorad Dodik’s Union of Independent Social Democrats was also accepted into the SI at this year’s congress.

Meanwhile, the leader of Slovenia’s largest leftist party, the Party of Social Democrats, Borut Pahor, said that the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) must change its policies if it wants to become a member of the organization.

Commenting on a letter written by Bosnian SDP President Zlatko Lagumdžija calling on “sister parties” in the region to block the SPS’s bid to join the SI, he said that “a very realistic situation was at stake.”

“From what I understand, the interest of European social democrats was for President [Boris] Tadić to form a government oriented towards Europe, and to find partners that will help him implement reforms that are expected and desired by the European Union,” Pahor said.

He added that “in the end, it turned out that this could be the SPS, which has had its doors closed to European social democrats up until now.”

“Nor were we in favor of accepting them because of some of the views that party has had on certain issues,” Pahor explained.

“For us, it is really important that Tadić forms a coalition, which means that the SPS is changing, because it cannot be a serious partner in the coalition without changing,” he said.

“If these changes lead to the desired goals, I think that the party will be able to join the SI, and one day even be an observer in the European Social Democrats--whose presidency I am a member of--once Serbia becomes a member of the European Union,” Pahor said.