The nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS) has split over disagreements on whether it should support Serbia's drive to join the European Union or remain firmly opposed to accession to a bloc most of whose members have recognised the independence of Kosovo.

The break-up came as a result of the September 5 resignation of a key Radical leader, Tomislav Nikolic, who tried to reform SRS' hard-line views but could not convince many senior members to vote in favour of the ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement Serbia signed with the EU back in April.

Nikolic was deputy head and de facto leader of the SRS in the absence of its official president, Vojislav Seselj, who is currently facing war crimes accusations at the United Nations' tribunal in The Hague. Nikolic quit both as deputy president and parliamentary floor leader and went on to form on September 8 his own parliamentary group, Napred Srbijo, with 11 MPs who chose to leave the SRS along with him.

Meanwhile, Dragan Todorovic was appointed the new head of the SRS parliamentary group.

"The curtain is falling on one party. The curtain may go up for two or one new party. But what the Serbian Radical Party was, does not exist any more," Nikolic said on September 8, as quoted by Beta news agency, adding that he and Seselj did not share the same views on politics, morale, and Serbia's future.

Serbia experienced a serious internal crisis following Kosovo's declaration of independence in February, which resulted in snap polls and lengthy post-election talks on forming a government. Finally, the pro-European parties outweighed and upon coming to office placed European integration on top of their agenda, though vowing never to let Kosovo go.

The nationalist parties, however, who said heading towards the EU meant giving up on Serbia's national interest, were left in opposition.