BELGRADE, Serbia-Serbia's president on Wednesday criticized attempts by nationalists to form the new government despite a strong election lead by the pro-Western camp.

President Boris Tadic said he would "defend the will of the people with all democratic and legitimate means."

Tadic's reformist bloc won the most votes in Sunday's general elections, but not enough to govern alone. It is trying to broker an alliance with late strongman Slobodan Milosevic's Socialist Party. However the nationalists also have vowed to form a coalition with the Socialists to take control of government.

Nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica was meeting Wednesday with Socialist leaders. The nationalist camp includes Kostunica's Popular Coalition and the far-right Serbian Radical Party, whose leader Vojislav Seselj is on trial at the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.

Serbia's path within Europe could be decided by which side can reach a deal with the Socialists.

Tadic has pledged to take Serbia into the European Union after years of wars and isolation in the 1990s. The nationalists are opposed to Serbia's EU integration and instead want closer ties with Russia.

The election showed that "most Serbian citizens supported the policies of continued European integration," Tadic said in his statement.

"The policies of hatred and aggression lost," he said.

Near-complete election results give Tadic's bloc 102 seats, the Radicals 78 and Kostunica's party 30. Tadic can also count on support from 18 deputies representing ethnic minorities and a liberal group, but both he and the nationalists need backing from the 20 Socialist lawmakers to form a government.

The Socialists ruled Serbia in the 1990s, and during Milosevic's decade in power the party was blamed for inciting four wars in the Balkans and destroying Serbia's economy.

Since Milosevic's 2006 death in the custody of the U.N. tribunal, the Socialist Party has sought to change its image, portraying itself as a modern leftist group.

Tadic said the Socialists were a "totally acceptable partner in the government."

EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana said Tuesday that the EU would support any pro-European Serbian government.