But this was swiftly terminated with the rise of Serbian nationalism.
"Giving them up will look like an awful retreat for Serbian nationalism to explain to the people who did the fighting."
It was the latest in a series of events illustrating a strong current of Serbian nationalism.
The ghost of Serbian nationalism has at last been banished.
After a war in which Serbian nationalism was personified by this same group of politicians, a choice to oppose them now is difficult.
Emphasizing Serbian nationalism and a cautious attitude toward a market economy, he won an easy victory.
Serbian nationalism escalated following the death of Tito in 1980.
Unlike other observers of those events, however, he did not mention Serbian nationalism and his own rise to power.
Indeed, in the short term it could only further inflame Serbian nationalism, with bad results.
This is why we are building our movement on Serbian nationalism.