Croatian MEP and European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, Tonino Picula, said that Serbia is choosing its own path, but if it wants to join the European Union, it must abandon historical revisionism.
Following the burial of former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladić, Picula said the EU should change its approach toward the authorities in Belgrade, warning that the space for diplomacy is narrowing.
Picula argued that Mladić’s burial should mark a turning point in the European Union’s relations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
“The burial of war criminal Ratko Mladić, who was finally convicted of genocide, should truly lead to a radical change in the EU’s long-standing policy of tolerating Aleksandar Vučić. This applies particularly to the European Commission, which has so far been far too accommodating, as well as to several influential member states,” Picula told HRT.
He stressed that the events in Belgrade are not the only reason he expects a change in European policy toward Serbia.
Picula also pointed to Vučić’s visit to Moscow last year, where he attended a military parade, the Banjska attack in northern Kosovo, legislation he says undermines the independence of the prosecution, and violations of democratic standards following the Novi Sad tragedy.
Picula’s remarks add to growing calls within the European Parliament for the EU to adopt a tougher approach toward Belgrade and make Serbia’s EU path more firmly conditional on democratic standards, accountability and a clear rejection of historical revisionism.
