Boris Tadić wins, and the (small part of the) world (that cares about the Balkans) lets out a sigh of relief. Nikolić would have been darkness for Serbia and the broader region had he squeaked into office. Though the presidency does not wield much power in Serbia, keeping the Radicals in the wilderness was an important victory any way you look at it.

This young interviewee puts it best:

“I am Tadić’s opponent, but I voted for him because this election is not about him but about progress,” said Branislav Jovanović, a 22-year-old student, at a Belgrade polling station. “People are sick of isolation and wars and misery.”

Tadić’s widely-reported EU enthusiasm only stands up to scrutiny when held up against Nikolić’s retrograde nationalism and rabid Russophilia. Tadić played up his nationalist bona fides during the campaign, perhaps to sap some support from Nikolić, and it remains to be seen whether his supposed EU-love will continue in the wake of the Kosovo declaration of independence which should happen some time this week. Here’s to hoping that he opts for trying to be a transformational figure in Serbian politics.