Czech Member of the European Parliament Tomáš Zdechovský has strongly criticized statements made by Serbian Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Snežana Paunović, describing them as unacceptable and incompatible with European values, while calling for consequences in Serbia’s EU accession process.
Zdechovský said he was “completely shocked” by what he heard from the Serbian minister, arguing that such rhetoric cannot represent a country seeking membership in the European Union.
“If this woman is truly a minister, we should remove Serbia from the negotiations,” the Czech MEP stated.
He compared Paunović’s remarks to attempts to relativize Nazi crimes after World War II, stressing that any rhetoric that justifies ethnic cleansing or dismisses the suffering of victims is unacceptable.
“It is as if someone, after visiting Auschwitz after World War II, said that Hitler was the best solution to the Jewish question. This is completely unacceptable,” Zdechovský said.
According to the Czech MEP, the European Union must send a clear message that nationalist rhetoric and the denial or justification of past crimes have no place in a united Europe.
Zdechovský’s comments come amid growing international criticism of Serbian Minister Snežana Paunović over her statements regarding Kosovo, which have been widely condemned as nationalist and inflammatory.
