Vojislav Kostunica and Serbia's future - Norman Cigar

The fall of Slobodan Milosevic in October 2000, following an electoral defeat, was one of the most dramatic and unexpected events of the last year of the last millennium. Western governments and public opinion feted Vojislav Kostunica, the new President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), perceiving his victory as marking the definitive advent of democracy to Serbia, and a promise of peace and stability throughout the former Yugoslavia. However, since his assumption of office, it is becoming increasingly clear that strong elements of continuity between the old and new regimes prevail. In this study of Vojislav Kostunica's political formation and general worldview, the author explores what Kostunica really represents for the future of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It essentially believes that this new phase is an attempt to preserve a "Greater Serbian" paradigm - relying on institutions like the Orthodox Church and the army - in opposition to more democratic and reform-minded political and civic forces.;It argues that the failure to take the necessary steps to ensure democratisation at home and reconciliation with neighbouring states would result in renewed conflict rather than stability.