Serbia takes a step forward

The capture of Radovan Karadzic is a feather in the cap of the new Serbian government and a necessary step towards becoming an EU candidate country. Having been president for just a few weeks, Boris Tadic’s decision to go after Karadzic so quickly and efficiently was a bold one and is a clear statement of intent.

It is also an example of the leverage of the EU enlargement process, particularly to young democracies. As I have said before the prospect of joining the EU, and the various standards demanded to gain candidate status and then full membership, plays a key role in driving reform and building stability.

Of course, as Dennis MacShane points out in the Yorkshire Post, Serbia still has much to do. In the short term, it must still hunt down Ratko Mladic, and deliver him to justice in the Hague to face war crimes charges, but the long term obstable remains the issue of Kosovo. Despite many countries recognising Kosovo as an indepenent state, few in Serbia accept it should ever be separate from their country.

However, with a pro-European government in place, careful progress through sensitive diplomacy at least seems a possibility, an achievement in itself considering where the Balkans were at just over a decade ago.