Tonino Picula, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Serbia and Croatian MEP, stated today that Serbia must abandon the concept of the “Serb world” and stop destabilizing neighboring countries.
“It seems to me that, for Serbia’s future in the EU, it must first and foremost abandon the concept of the ‘Serb world’ and the destabilization of neighboring countries, on which it exerts influence through political options and the Orthodox Church,” said Picula in an interview with N1 Croatia.
Regarding Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s meetings with EU leaders, Picula acknowledged that it was good that the meetings with the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council took place. He emphasized that Vučić had a series of meetings with almost all relevant EU and NATO officials.
“After five months of avoiding clarity about what is happening in Serbia, it was high time that clear political messages were communicated to him from the highest levels, different from those that have alienated many citizens of Serbia from the European Union,” Picula stressed.
He pointed out it was telling that EU flags were not seen at protests in Serbia, but Romanian flags were, drawing attention to European Prosecutor Laura Kövesi as a symbol of the fight against corruption, which is the foundation of the protests in Serbia.
“Von der Leyen, in this complex geopolitical situation, must find a way to extract clear guarantees that the region will not be destabilized, but also that Serbia will respect its own commitments, which would imply synchronization with the EU legal acquis by 2026,” said Picula.
When asked about Vučić’s claim that no sound cannon was used during the massive protest in Belgrade, Picula responded that this issue should not be dismissed.
“I think EU’s messages to Vučić are equally strong, not only to investigate what happened but to recognize that Serbia cannot approach the European Union with its current domestic and foreign policies,” Picula said.
Although he emphasized that the people of Serbia elect their government, Picula stated that the EU should retain the right to assess whether Serbia is adhering to its obligations on the EU accession path. He noted there is an additional set of issues, such as alignment with the EU’s common security and foreign policies, with Serbia still being the only country on the European path that has not imposed any sanctions on Russia.
Regarding attacks by Serbian tabloids, which often target him, Picula responded that Vučić was critical of his work even before he was appointed as the EP rapporteur for Serbia. “He talked about my origins, political affiliations, but that’s just an alibi policy,” said Picula, adding that many of the problems of stagnation are far older than his appointment.
He concluded that the regime in Serbia has often failed to fulfill its promises.
