At the moment when Serbia is getting serious kicks from European institutions - a never harsher resolution of the European Parliament and a very harsh report of the European Commission, Prime Minister Đuro Macut says that Serbia is very close to membership in to the European Union, but that "the main obstacles are the political decisions of the member states".
"We technically met all the conditions to be in Europe, but it remains the decision of the member states to join," Macut said at the "Western Balkans 2030 - A Turning Point for the Region" conference, which is being held at the Palace of Serbia.
Unlike Prime Minister Macuto, reports from European institutions are not at all optimistic, and what is happening on the ground is not great either.
Before all the reports, the president of the European Commission came to visit Serbia Ursula von der Lajen with a clear message - "deeds, not just words", when she repeated what is expected of Serbia on the way to the EU.
Reports followed, and then the Government of Sweden decided to suspend part of the financial aid to Serbia's state institutions and to redirect the funds to strengthening civil society, due, as it states, to the deterioration of the rule of law, corruption and media freedom.
The devastating state of the rule of law in Serbia is the main complaint of the EU institutions.
What do European documents say?
Resolution of the European Parliament on Serbia, which was adopted on October 22, was assessed as "far harsher than all the previous ones".
The Resolution first of all expresses support for a true dialogue about how Government of Serbia can meet student demands, including requests for early elections.
The resolution expresses a clear condemnation of violence inspired by the state, it condemns state violence, intimidation of citizens and arbitrary arrests peaceful protesters, journalists, civil society organizations and opposition representatives in Serbia.
In the Resolution, the European Parliament also expressed "deep concern about the situation in Serbia, which is still full of tension, where there is polarization that can easily lead to violence" and called on the authorities to "promote inclusive political participation".
The resolution also condemns media smear campaigns, intimidation of independent media and misuse of personal data to discredit protesters.
Attacks on journalists and the civil sector
The EP resolution denies Prime Minister Matsuto's claims that the country has met all the conditions to be in the EU.
Even the European Commission did not speak highly of Serbia and its path to the EU.
In Serbia, there are challenges in the functioning of democratic institutions due to the increasingly polarized political situation at the national and local levels, the report also stated. of the European Commission which was published on November 4th.
The report mentions the fall of the canopy and the protests that followed, the attack on representatives of the media and civil society, and the elections in Zaječar and Kosjerić. The European Commission Report also mentions the changes in the Government of Serbia after the fall of the canopy, i.e. the resignation of two ministers and then the prime minister after the violent physical attack on students in January of this year.
And that's when Đuro Macut became the new prime minister. He now referred to the report of the European Commission.
Criticism, but also breakthroughs
Macut stated that the report can be interpreted as criticism, but he reminded that Serbia "made important strides" and that in recent months it has accelerated in the implementation of reforms.
He stressed that the Government of Serbia will continue to be very active in implementing reforms, that the ministers have received clear instructions for the realization of goals, especially those related to legal solutions, and that he will intensively monitor their work.
He emphasized that the Government of Serbia has a pro-European stance, and added that he does not see strong opposition to EU accession in the public.
However, public opinion polls also show a different picture.
Would Serbs like to be in the EU?
In a possible referendum for Serbia's entry into the European Union (EU), 46 percent of respondents would vote "for" while 44 percent of respondents are currently against EU membership, according to a spring public opinion survey conducted by CeSID, the results of which were published at the end of June.
In addition, 79 percent of citizens believe that Serbia is moving very slowly towards the EU, so it is not surprising that almost half of the participants in the survey (47 percent) are convinced that Serbia will never become part of it, according to the CeSID report.
Serbia's path to the European Union is already too long. It was started back in 2014, and it has not progressed far - only two negotiation chapters have been closed, and Serbia still has a question in front of it. Kosova as especially in negotiations with the EU.
President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić he previously mentioned that the goal is for Serbia to become a member of the EU by 2020, then he moved the deadline to 2025, and then the deadline he mentioned was moved further, so he recently stated that there are real chances for Serbia to join the EU by 2030.
While the deadlines presented to the citizens of Serbia move from year to year, Montenegro and Albania are getting closer to the European family.
Who will run the race faster depends on their policies, and Serbia will likely continue to run its marathon. Just so that he does not experience the so-called "racing wall" on that track - he exhausts all his strength and is left without crossing the finish line.
