Radical in name only

摘要

An Exaggerated pride in ethnic and religious identity is a familiar curse in the Balkans, and at first glance the Serbian elections that took place on January 21st confirm that the curse continues: the greatest share of the vote was won by the ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party, whose leader, Vojislav Seselj, is on trial before the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague. A second glance is more reassuring: the real message of the election is that a majority of Serbs, including many who voted for the Radicals, favour moving the country forward on the path of European integration.