“New government will face new conditions”

BELGRADE Democratic Party (DS) President Boris Tadic has said the change of government in Serbia has brought new problems and requirements in EU integration. Tadic is taking part in a congress of the Party of European Socialists (PES) in Brussels. “New government will face new conditions” “The new government will have the strength to meet the new conditions because it is necessary for Serbia to start the accession talks as soon as possible,” the DS leader noted. "The public should be told clearly what the requirements we face are," Tadic told Tanjug, and added he had discussed it with other left-wing leaders in Brussels and with European Parliament President Martin Schultz. He explained that it was the seventh item on the list of requirements leader of German Christian democrats Schohenhoff had presented in Belgrade recently and referred to good relations with Kosovo. "While I was the president of Serbia, the seventh item was never stated as a requirement for the talks, but as a condition for full EU membership," Tadic said, adding that raising the dialogue with Pristina to the political level was one of the new requirements. "I suggested a political dialogue earlier, but now the request is to discuss purely technical issues at the highest level, and that will definitely cause tension in Serbia" he stressed. He said he would not blame the new government or president for the new circumstances but that one should be aware that every political change in Serbia brought new requirements. “If Serbia is late in terms of the negotiations process, it will delay EU accession manifold, which will impact all the citizens and could be calculated financially,” Tadic stressed. Tadic was elected at the Ninth Congress of the PES on Saturday member of the PES Presidency. Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Sanishev was elected president, the DS stated on Saturday. The Presidency meets regularly, every two to four months, in between Congresses and takes decisions on the daily management of the work of the PES. The statement says the PES includes parties of the socialist, social democratic and labor orientation from the EU countries. The DS is an associate member of the PES, which is the highest type of membership in the organization that can be attained by parties from countries not belonging to the EU, the statement reads. The DS is the only Serbian party that is an associate member of the PES. The goals of the PES are to improve socialist and social democratic movements in Europe and the EU, develop close relationships between national parties, parliamentary groups, the Parliamentary Group of Socialists and Democrats, PES Women, ECOSY and other social democratic organizations. The goals also include defining a joint policy for the EU and adopting a joint manifesto for the European Parliament elections. Boris Tadic (Beta, file) Tanjug

“New government will face new conditions”

“The new government will have the strength to meet the new conditions because it is necessary for Serbia to start the accession talks as soon as possible,” the DS leader noted.

"The public should be told clearly what the requirements we face are," Tadić told Tanjug, and added he had discussed it with other left-wing leaders in Brussels and with European Parliament President Martin Schultz.

He explained that it was the seventh item on the list of requirements leader of German Christian democrats Schohenhoff had presented in Belgrade recently and referred to good relations with Kosovo.

"While I was the president of Serbia, the seventh item was never stated as a requirement for the talks, but as a condition for full EU membership," Tadić said, adding that raising the dialogue with Priština to the political level was one of the new requirements.

"I suggested a political dialogue earlier, but now the request is to discuss purely technical issues at the highest level, and that will definitely cause tension in Serbia" he stressed.

He said he would not blame the new government or president for the new circumstances but that one should be aware that every political change in Serbia brought new requirements.

“If Serbia is late in terms of the negotiations process, it will delay EU accession manifold, which will impact all the citizens and could be calculated financially,” Tadić stressed.

Tadić was elected at the Ninth Congress of the PES on Saturday member of the PES Presidency.

Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Sanishev was elected president, the DS stated on Saturday.

The Presidency meets regularly, every two to four months, in between Congresses and takes decisions on the daily management of the work of the PES. The statement says the PES includes parties of the socialist, social democratic and labor orientation from the EU countries.

The DS is an associate member of the PES, which is the highest type of membership in the organization that can be attained by parties from countries not belonging to the EU, the statement reads.

The DS is the only Serbian party that is an associate member of the PES.

The goals of the PES are to improve socialist and social democratic movements in Europe and the EU, develop close relationships between national parties, parliamentary groups, the Parliamentary Group of Socialists and Democrats, PES Women, ECOSY and other social democratic organizations.

The goals also include defining a joint policy for the EU and adopting a joint manifesto for the European Parliament elections.