The Social Democratic Party (SDS) strongly condemns the excessive use of force by the Serbian police in Novi Sad the night before last. “We consider it imperative that the European Union institutions and the international community respond to the acts of violence perpetrated by the police, including against minors,” reads a statement from Boris Tadić’s SDS.
The party demands that the Ministry of Interior immediately reveal the identities of the officers who brutally attacked citizens under the guise of law enforcement and ensure they are prosecuted according to the law. Furthermore, SDS calls on all honest police officers to speak out against the transformation of the police into a tool of regime oppression instead of a protective service for citizens.
“Moreover, as a party firmly committed to Serbia’s EU membership, we appeal to EU institutions to finally respond to the violence and the ongoing erosion of democracy in Serbia. Against this backdrop, it is nothing short of scandalous that Ana Brnabić, while Serbian citizens—especially the youth—suffer under regime violence, is legitimized as a participant in the EU Enlargement Forum in Brussels. By inviting Brnabić to this forum, the EU sends a message to the Serbian people that it is turning a blind eye to the abuses in our country, ultimately undermining EU interests in Serbia. This complacent stance toward the Serbian regime has directly contributed to the drastic decline in support for European integration among Serbians,” the statement adds.
The SDS further emphasizes that: “Serbian citizens, under the banner of the EU and believing in a European future and values, overcame Milošević’s autocracy. Today, on the streets demanding justice and in hospital waiting rooms recovering from injuries inflicted by the police, citizens face the same political forces that ruled Serbia in the 1990s, while Ana Brnabić addresses audiences from Brussels. The future of not only Serbia but also the EU depends on a return to authentic European values. We therefore reiterate our call for EU representatives to take a clear stand so that the EU flag once again symbolizes a better future for all in Serbia, rather than disappointment.”
This statement makes it clear that the SDS holds the Brnabić government directly responsible for police violence, democratic erosion, and the undermining of EU values in Serbia, while sharply criticizing both the regime and the EU’s apparent tolerance of its actions.
