Civil society groups have called on EU officials to do more to support democratic reforms in Serbia amid a political crisis sparked by the deadly collapse of the roof of a railway station.
In response to the tragedy in November, which killed 15 people, student-led demonstrations, street blockades and university closures were held nationwide. The protests have been gaining momentum for almost four months.
The unrest led the Serbian prime minister, Miloš Vučević, to resign on Tuesday. Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, a populist who has held a grip on power since 2014, has 30 days to designate a new prime minister, or a snap election will be triggered.
The protesters blame the train station tragedy, which occurred in the country’s second-biggest city, Novi Sad, on government corruption, and are demanding accountability.
Among those critical of the government are a group of Serbian public figures from the fields of media, academia, art and justice. They have expressed frustration at what they say is the EU’s silence during a period of instability in Serbia, which has been a candidate to join the bloc since 2012.
In an open letter published on Thursday, the public figures accused the EU of not doing enough to support democratic processes in Serbia.
“The rule of such a regime [in Serbia] all these years would not have been possible without the very ambivalent and inconsistent policy of the European Union towards Serbia, which in recent years often came down to the open support of the government of Aleksandar Vučić,” it said.
The letter asked EU officials “to personally take an active role supporting [a] free, democratic, and European Serbia” and to present a policy towards the country that helps its people fight against corruption.
It also urged the EU to do more to support “the fight for media freedom, and the fight for rebuilding an independent... judicial system.”
On October 25, one week before the railway station disaster, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen met with Vučić in Belgrade and praised the country’s progress in its EU accession process.
“Serbia is already one of the most advanced countries in the accession process,” she said at a press conference, adding: “You [Vučić] have committed to delivering on reforms, in particular on the fundamentals ... of rule of law and democracy.”
Days later, on October 30, the European Commission enlargement department published a report on Serbia’s accession process which showed a starkly different picture.
The report – published just two days before the tragic Novi Sad incident – said that Serbia was disregarding a law on public procurement, specifically in relation to the government’s deals with foreign state-owned firms, and that this had undermined the quality of work under such contracts.
Critics said the disaster was caused by poor renovation work under a deal with Chinese state companies involved in several infrastructure projects across Serbia.
The report by the EU Commission’s enlargement department also said the Serbian government had heavily suppressed media freedom and conducted surveillance of civil society activists.
The unrest led the Serbian prime minister, Miloš Vučević, to resign on Tuesday. Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, a populist who has held a grip on power since 2014, has 30 days to designate a new prime minister, or a snap election will be triggered.
The protesters blame the train station tragedy, which occurred in the country’s second-biggest city, Novi Sad, on government corruption, and are demanding accountability.
Among those critical of the government are a group of Serbian public figures from the fields of media, academia, art and justice. They have expressed frustration at what they say is the EU’s silence during a period of instability in Serbia, which has been a candidate to join the bloc since 2012.
In an open letter published on Thursday, the public figures accused the EU of not doing enough to support democratic processes in Serbia.
“The rule of such a regime [in Serbia] all these years would not have been possible without the very ambivalent and inconsistent policy of the European Union towards Serbia, which in recent years often came down to the open support of the government of Aleksandar Vučić,” it said.
The letter asked EU officials “to personally take an active role supporting [a] free, democratic, and European Serbia” and to present a policy towards the country that helps its people fight against corruption.
It also urged the EU to do more to support “the fight for media freedom, and the fight for rebuilding an independent... judicial system.”
Contradictions within Commission
On October 25, one week before the railway station disaster, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen met with Vučić in Belgrade and praised the country’s progress in its EU accession process.
“Serbia is already one of the most advanced countries in the accession process,” she said at a press conference, adding: “You [Vučić] have committed to delivering on reforms, in particular on the fundamentals ... of rule of law and democracy.”
Days later, on October 30, the European Commission enlargement department published a report on Serbia’s accession process which showed a starkly different picture.
The report – published just two days before the tragic Novi Sad incident – said that Serbia was disregarding a law on public procurement, specifically in relation to the government’s deals with foreign state-owned firms, and that this had undermined the quality of work under such contracts.
Critics said the disaster was caused by poor renovation work under a deal with Chinese state companies involved in several infrastructure projects across Serbia.
The report by the EU Commission’s enlargement department also said the Serbian government had heavily suppressed media freedom and conducted surveillance of civil society activists.
Source: Mikser, Reuters, EU Commission Enlargement department, EU Parliament
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