Boris Tadić

Novi dvor, the seat of the President of Serbia

Tadić, as the newly elected Democratic Party leader, was chosen as the candidate for the presidential election. He defeated Tomislav Nikolić of the nationalist Radical Party in the run-off of the 2004 presidential election with 53%[18] of the vote. He was inaugurated on 11 July of that year.[19]

During the 2004 election campaign, Tadić promised to form a new special institution called the People's Office. The People's Office of the President of the Republic was opened on 1 October 2004. The role of the People's Office is to make communication between the citizens and the President easier, and to cooperate between other state bodies and institutions, in order to enable the citizens of Serbia to exercise their rights. The People's Office of the President is divided into four divisions: Legal Affairs Division, Social Affairs Division, Projects Division and General Affairs Division. The first Director of the People's Office was Dragan Đilas. When he joined the Government of Serbia as the Minister in charge of the National Investment Plan in 2007, Tatjana Pašić became the new Director.[20]

Tadić advocated cooperation and reconciliation of the former Yugoslav countries, strained by the burden of the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s. On 6 December 2004, Boris Tadić made an apology in Bosnia and Herzegovina to all those who suffered crimes committed in the name of the Serbian people.[21] In July 2005, Tadić visited the Bosnian town of Srebrenica on the 10th anniversary of massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces.[22] In 2007, Tadić issued an apology to Croatia for any crimes committed in Serbia's name during the war in Croatia.[23]

Tadić presided during the independence referendum in Montenegro (2006). He was the first foreign head of state to visit Montenegro after it became independent on 8 June, and promised to continue friendly relations. Serbia declared independence as well, and Tadić attended the first raising of the flag of Serbia at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.[24]

On 6 September 2007, Tadić was a signatory of the agreement that led to the formation of the Council for Cooperation between Serbia and Republika Srpska, together with Milorad Dodik and Vojislav Koštunica.[25] In late 2007, he stated that Serbia does not support a break-up of Bosnia and Herzegovina and that, as a guarantor of the Dayton Accords that brought peace to Bosnia, he supports its territorial integrity. Tadić also said that Serbia supports the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the EU,[26] and NATO.[27]

As President, Tadić has pursued a pro-Western foreign policy. On 28 September 2005, he met with Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican City, making him the first Serbian head of state to be granted an audience with a pope. This helped improve traditionally strained Catholic-Orthodox relations.[28]

On 22 June 2007, Tadić presided over the 1000th meeting of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers in Belgrade.[29]

Contrary to his earlier decision in the 2004 Kosovan parliamentary election, Tadić stated that he had no right to call on Kosovo Serbs to vote in the 2007 Kosovo parliamentary election, as the standards he asked for in 2004 were not reached.[30]

2008 reelection campaign logo

Boris Tadić has advocated an early presidential election that is required under constitutional law, since the adoption of the new Constitution of Serbia, after the successful constitutional referendum in October 2006. On 13 December 2007, the speaker of the Parliament, Oliver Dulić, set the election date for 20 January 2008. The Democratic Party submitted the candidacy of its leader to the Republic Electoral Commission on 21 December. Tadić held his first election convention on 22 December, in Novi Sad.[31] The re-election campaign was led under the slogan ”For a strong and stable Serbia“ (За Јаку и Стабилну Србију) in the first round and "Let's win Europe together!" (Да освојимо Европу заједно!) in the second. Tadić advocated integration of Serbia into the European Union but also territorial integrity of Serbia with sovereignty over Kosovo and Metohija. As a part of a campaign, Boris Tadić answered the 10 most interesting questions every week through the campaign website in the form of video response on YouTube.[32]

Tadić received support from G17 Plus and Sanjak Democratic Party, partners from the Government. He also received support of various national minority parties including Hungarian and Romani parties. He received 1,457,030 votes (35.39 percent) in the first round. In the second round on 3 February 2008, he faced Tomislav Nikolić and won the election with 2,304,467 votes (50.31 percent).[33] After the election he assured Serbian citizens in Kosovo that they would never be betrayed.[34]

Tadić was sworn in at the inauguration ceremony on 15 February 2008 in the National Assembly of Serbia.[35][36]

The Assembly of Kosovo proclaimed a declaration of independence on 17 February 2008.[37] Boris Tadić urged a United Nations Security Council meeting to react urgently and annul the act. He also said that Belgrade would never recognise the independence of Kosovo and would never give up the struggle for its legitimate interests.[38] Russia backed Serbia's position and President Vladimir Putin said that any support for Kosovo's unilateral declaration is immoral and illegal.[39]

On 21 February Tadić met President of Romania Traian Băsescu in Bucharest where he thanked him for Romanian support and stated that "Serbia will not give up its future in Europe".

Tadić said that Serbia would never recognise an independent Kosovo.[40] He stated that the problem of Kosovo was not solved by the unilaterally declared independence and that the decade-long problems between Serbs and Albanians still exist. He called the international institutions to find a solution within the UN Security Council, for the continuation of negotiations.[41] He also called a decision made by the US President George W. Bush to send arms to Kosovo "bad news".[42]

Boris Tadić with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Belgrade.

Tadić also said that Serbia would not accept the legality of the EU's planned policing and judiciary mission for Kosovo.[43] On 25 February 2008, Boris Tadić met with Dmitry Medvedev and Sergei Lavrov in Belgrade where Medvedev stated that "We proceed from the understanding that Serbia is a single state with its jurisdiction spanning its entire territory, and we will adhere to this principled stance in the future, We have made a deal to coordinate together our efforts in order to get out of this complicated situation". Agreement on the South Stream pipeline was also signed during this visit.[44][45]

Meeting with Lech Kaczyński, late President of Poland, at the 63rd UN General Assembly session in September 2008

On 5 April 2008, Tadić called the acquittal of Ramush Haradinaj "disgraceful because of the innocent victims" and demanded the ICTY to appeal. He said that Serbia wishes to help the Tribunal to collect evidence "because Haradinaj’s place is in prison". He said that former Hague Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte had said that witnesses in the case against Haradinaj had been intimidated and even murdered to prevent them testifying to his crimes.[46]

Following the Republic of Kosovo's formation of the Kosovo Security Forces in January 2009, he sent protest letters both to the and NATO Secretaries-General. The letter states that Serbia views those forces as an illegal paramilitary organisation that constitutes a threat to the country's security and a danger to peace and stability in the Western Balkans. Tadić drew attention to the fact that the KSF were formed on the basis of the Ahtisaari Plan that was never adopted by the Security Council and added that the creation of these forces constitutes a breach of the Serbian Constitution and international law, which is why they should be disbanded. He called for the demilitarisation of Kosovo.[47]

On 13 March 2008, President Tadić signed a decree dissolving the country's parliament and slating early parliamentary elections for 11 May.[48] Boris Tadić gathered a large pro-EU coalition around his Democratic Party and G17 Plus for the Serbian parliamentary election in 2008, named “For a European Serbia – Boris Tadić". The coalition list was led by Dragoljub Mićunović and it also included Sanjak Democratic Party, Serbian Renewal Movement and League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina.[49] The coalition won 38% of the vote, more than any other list.[50] He condemnеd remarks regarding the election made by Javier Solana and Pieter Feith and called on the European Union not to interfere with Serbian elections.[51][52]

Tadić said that he was ready, authorised as per Vienna Convention,[53] to sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union if it were offered on 28 April, but not at the price of recognising Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence.[54] Tadić attended the signing of the SAA ceremony in Luxembourg on 29 April, where the Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić signed the document on behalf of Serbia, as per the authorisation of the Government from December 2007. He was opposed by the then Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica who believed that Serbia ought not to sign any agreements with the European Union.[55] While, on 1 May, Koštunica said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was right when he said that the SAA should have been signed, he nonetheless vowed to annul the agreement after the parliamentary elections, calling it "not in the service of Serbia's territorial integrity."[56][57]

On 27 June 2008, Tadić named Mirko Cvetković for the new Prime Minister, following the victory of his party coalition in parliamentary election that took place in May. Cvetković was sworn in after giving the oath in the National Assembly on 7 July 2008.[58]

Following the 2008 South Ossetia War, and Russian recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Tadić refused to follow suit, saying that even though he respects the Russian support to Serbia regarding Kosovo, "Serbia is not going to recognise these so-called new countries". He stated that "Serbia is not going to do something that is against our interest, because we are defending out territorial integrity and sovereignty by using international law" and that by constitution he must defend the interests of Serbia, and not the interests of any other country in the world.[59][60]

Boris Tadić and Dmitry Medvedev sealed the deal regarding the construction of a South Stream gas pipeline in December 2008

Tadić invoked his constitutional powers of Commander-in-Chief of the Military of Serbia and dismissed the Chief of the General Staff Zdravko Ponoš on 30 December 2008. Ponoš made public accusations against the Defence Minister Dragan Šutanovac in the media. It was also revealed that he ignored the minister and has not submitted a single report in a year.[61][62]

Foreign Minister of Greece Stavros Lambrinidis with Serbian President Boris Tadić and Foreign Minister of Serbia Vuk Jeremić

In April 2009, Tadić announced a constitutional reform proposal. His initiative includes the proposal to reduce the number of the National Assembly members from 250 to 150 to better reflect the size of the country followed by changes in law on party registration and financing in order to consolidate similar parties and limit those with little support which should bring Serbia closer to a two-party system. The second proposed amendment would change the administrative division of Serbia by dividing it into more autonomous regions in order to achieve a more balanced development. This change would lead to Serbia's being divided into seven regions instead of the current asymmetrical division which includes two autonomous provinces but where the majority of the territory has no special autonomy.[63][64][65] However, the proposals haven't came to fruition.

During his visit to Serbia in May 2009, Lech Kaczyński, President of Poland, stated that he doesn't agree with the decision of the Polish Government to recognise the independence of Kosovo and that he as the President "favours the policy pursued by Serbian President Boris Tadić". They also discussed energy, particularly Europe's dependence on natural gas from just one source, and agreed that there is a need for a common EU energy policy that should also include the Balkan states.[66]

US Vice President Joe Biden meets Tadić during the state visit to Serbia in May 2009

On 21 May 2009, Dragan Marić, a former businessman who was revolted over the court decision in his dispute with the national air carrier Jat Airways, entered the Presidency office carrying two hand grenades and seeking an out-of-court settlement signed by President or Government. Members of the Battalion of Military Police Cobras, providing security to the President of Serbia, managed to take one of the grenades immediately and isolate the attacker, however the perpetrator removed the pin from the second grenade and threatened to detonate it by releasing the lever. The negotiations were handled by the special team of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs, supported by the officials of the Ministry of Justice, and lasted for several hours until the man was disarmed and arrested. After the incident, Tadić, who was present in the secured area of the building, congratulated the police and army special units, the security and negotiation team for doing a terrific job, peacefully and with no casualties and also said that problems, no matter what kind, cannot be resolved by force and by jeopardising citizens' lives.[67][68]

In October 2009, after the Serbian national team qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Boris Tadić and other Serbian ministers celebrated at the end of the match in Belgrade's Red Star Stadium by toasting the winning team with a glass of champagne. It is illegal to consume alcohol at Serbian sporting events to stop violence. Tadić pleaded guilty, saying "I did not know that consumption of alcohol, even if only for a toast, has been forbidden so I fully take responsibility for the violation" and was fined €400.[69]

Some observers have describe that the coalition government led by Tadić's Democratic Party introduced some media control mechanisms, which were further developed by the Aleksandar Vučić regime to severely curtail media freedom.[70][71] Ljiljana Smajlović, editor-in-chief of Politika, has accused Tadić several times of pressuring editorial politics.[72][73] Following his defeat at the 2012 presidential elections, Tadić and main opposition candidate Tomislav Nikolić had similar media coverage, but the campaign coverage was characterized by the lack of analytical and critical reporting, while some media outlets such as the weekly NIN and tabloid Blic showed a preference for Tadić.[74][75]

Advisors to the President of the Republic carry out the analytical, advisory and other corresponding tasks for the needs of the President of the Republic as well as other expert tasks in relations of the President with the Government and the Parliament.[76]

Chief of Staff is Miodrag Rakić. Acting Secretary General of the Office of the President was Vladimir Cvijan from 2008 to 2010.

Previous advisors who served from 2005 to 2008 are Biserka Jevtimijević Drinjaković (economic issues), Vladimir Cvijan (legal issues) and Dušan T. Bataković and Leon Kojen (political issues). Most of the former advisors are now serving as directors of public enterprises and ambassadors.

On 5 April 2012, a day after announcing his decision, Tadić submitted his resignation to the speaker of parliament, Slavica Đukić-Dejanović, who then took over as acting president. This led to bringing forward the presidential election[77] to coincide with the parliamentary election on 6 May.[78]

Amid controversy regarding the legitimacy of the third mandate and the legality of certain decisions,[79] incumbent Tadić lost the presidential elections to his opponent, Tomislav Nikolić from the Serbian Progressive Party. Nikolić has won 49.7% of the votes in the runoff vote, versus 47% for Tadić, according to data of the Serbian Center for Free Elections and Democracy.[80] The result was considered somewhat of a surprise, as Tadić had exploited his resignation for the presidential vote to coincide with parliamentary elections.

Tadić was criticized both inside and outside the party for the manoeuvre of calling early presidential elections without a clear goal, and entering them with over-confidence.[81] Dragan Đilas, long-time mayor of Belgrade and one of rare Democrats who remained in his seat after 2012 elections, announced that he would challenge Tadić in December party elections. After a period of gauging the odds, it became obvious that Đilas would receive majority support. Before the electoral conference, Đilas and Tadić reached a face-saving agreement whereby Tadić would step down from the race and remain the party's honorary president, and Đilas thus became the only major candidate.[82] Đilas was elected president of the Democratic Party on 25 November 2012.[83]

In early 2014, after losing the internal reelections in the Democratic Party to Dragan Đilas[84] Tadić resigned from his position of honorary president and left the party.[85] Subsequently, a number of prominent party members all across defected from the party and stated that they intend to form a list in the forthcoming parliamentary election with Tadić as its leader. So far, coalition has been agreed with the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina. A political party, most likely named New Democratic Party, is in the process of forming and registration.[86]

Following the 2008 election, Tadić's Democratic Party was unable to form a pro-European government with the hard-line Liberal Democratic Party. Faced with the possibility of a eurosceptic government led by the Democratic Party of Serbia, the Serbian Radical Party and the post-Milošević Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Tadić proposed a coalition with the SPS. On 7 June 2008 at an assembly of the Main Board of the Democratic Party, Tadić compared the DS and the SPS saying that both grieved over the loss of their presidents, Đinđić and Milošević. His address was heavily criticized by members of the Liberal Democratic Party, the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina and the Social Democratic Union.[87][88]

On 18 October 2008 Tadić and Ivica Dačić, President of the Socialist Party of Serbia, signed a Declaration of Political Reconciliation drafted in July,[89] agreeing on further EU integration and negotiations with Kosovo based on UN Resolution 1244.[90] The Declaration was again viewed as exonerating Milošević's regime and the G17 Plus, the Serbian Renewal Movement and League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina refused to sign it despite supporting the government.[91][92] It was also criticized by the right-wing Dveri and the Serbian Radical Party who called the declaration a reconciliation of the two wings of the League of Communists who split at the 8th Session.[93][94] Tadić defended the reconciliation after the 2012 presidential election reiterating that Serbia was in need of consensus-building policies.[95]

In 2011 Report, the Freedom House described the media situation as generally free and stated that press operated with little government interference, although most media outlets are thought to be aligned with specific political parties.[96] Some observers have describe that the coalition government led by Tadić's Democratic Party introduced some media control mechanisms, which were further developed by the Aleksandar Vučić regime to severely curtail media freedom.[70][97] Media associations criticized the ruling coalition for adopting the controversial Law on Public Information proposed by the G17 Plus.[70][98]

On 8 April 2011 the European Federation of Journalists wrote to Tadić that press freedom in Serbia was seriously compromised, that the safety of investigative journalists in Loznica and Belgrade was threatened and that independent newspapers were struggling against economic pressure and political interference, sometimes even against undue judiciary pressure through court decisions.[99] The two main journalism associations and the journalists' union stated support for the letter.[100] Ljiljana Smajlović, editor-in-chief of Politika, has accused Tadić several times of pressuring editorial politics.[72][73]

In September 2011 the Anti-Corruption Council, led by Verica Barać and with the support of Commissioner for Information of Public Importance Rodoljub Šabić, Ombudsman Saša Janković, and presidents of the two main journalism associations Ljiljana Smajlović and Vukašin Obradović, published a report detailing the state of the freedom of the press in Serbia from January 2008 to June 2010. The Council concluded that the media in Serbia was overwhelmed by strong political pressure, that full control over the media was established, that no medium broadcast objective and complete information, and that events were censored or reported on selectively and incompletely. The report concluded that marketing agencies owned by senior Democratic Party officials and Tadić's close associates, namely Srđan Šaper and Dragan Đilas, held a significant share of the advertising market.[101][102]

Following his defeat at the 2012 presidential elections, Tadić and main opposition candidate Tomislav Nikolić had similar media coverage, but the campaign coverage was characterized by the lack of analytical and critical reporting, while some media outlets such as the weekly NIN and tabloid Blic showed a preference for Tadić.[103][75] On the other hand, the election observation organizations highlighted the many national-frequency televisions broadcast more affirmative content about the opposition parties.[104]