By: Jelena Spasovic, IFLRY Vice President

Serbia's ultra-nationalist Radical Party (SRS) leader Nikolić finished the first round of elections with a lead over the Democratic Party (DS) leader and presidential incumbent, Boris Tadic. Even on CNN this is one of top news and all people that are doing political analysis talk about influence of process about Kosovo and this results, while also they are trying to guess what will happen with Serbia if Nikolic (SRS) wins this second round. CNN's European political editor Robin Oakley believes that the runoff will be a pivotal moment in the Balkan nation's history. "February 3 therefore becomes a crucial choice not just for Serbians but for many across the Balkans who fear a further decade of instability and economic stagnation," Oakley said. Analyzes of possible results of the runoff already started and all researchers expect that votes of SPS candidate Mr. Mrkonjić (6%) go, for the most part, to Nikolić. LDP (Jovanović) supporters (5,6%) are expected to back Tadić. The big question is who Velimir Ilić's votes will go to. Mr. Ilic gets 7.6 % of votes and everyone expect that this vote will decide where Serbia will go in future. As Mr. Ilic was candidate of party of Prime Minister Kostunica now it is time to see what he is going to chose as direction, EU or Russia.

Once again Serbia is in the place where it needs to chose which road will be taken and that is why February 3rd will be very important for country. According to researchers 70% of Serbian people support integration to EU; we hope they will realize that this is also fight for European path and that is why this situation is more serious and they need to decide to go and vote.

I am not expecting anything because on this point I am not an optimist but I still hope that Kostunica will realize what his propaganda for rising nationalism does to Serbia. Only Radicals benefit from it and that he will take responsibility for his moves and finally support democratic candidate in runoff. I also hope that people before voting will think about message that LDP try to send "100% of people are more important then 15% of territory" and decide to vote for their future and not for Kosovo.

I think that Serbia is at a point where we need a new reunion of democratic parties, this time not against Milosevic but against Nikolic and his party that has never been closer to 50% of votes then now. They all need to forget their differences and to see that priority for this moment is to back Serbia on path to EU and to finally say NO to the past: authoritarian politics, ultra-nationalists, wars, isolations and all things that we saw in '90 during regime of Milosevic.