In the European Parliament the plenary session on Tuesday (October 21) discussed the political crisis in Serbia, the fall of the canopy, student protests, police repression, Marko Kričko, media freedom, the state of democracy in general. Some European MPs say that it is the harshest resolution ever on a country that has the status of a candidate for membership in the European Union.
The resolution explicitly states that the EP strongly condemns state violence, intimidation of citizens and arbitrary arrests of peaceful demonstrators, journalists, civil society organizations and representatives of the opposition in Serbia, writes the Savremena politika portal.
Media smear campaigns, intimidation of independent media and misuse of personal data to discredit protesters are also condemned. Senior officials are urged to stop inflammatory rhetoric that incites hostility or violence.
Additionally, the use of illegal surveillance software, such as Pegasus, Cellebrite and Novi Spy, is condemned. Concerns are also expressed about the use of long-range acoustic devices (LRAD) and the widespread use of tear gas against civilians.
In the introduction of the proposed resolution, which was approved by the majority in the EP, all violations by the government of Aleksandar Vučić regarding democratic standards since the fall of the railway station canopy in Novi Sad on November 1 last year are detailed, which is a message that Strasbourg and Brussels are closely monitoring what is happening in Serbia.
The harshest Resolution of the European Parliament on Serbia so far was adopted
What do such harsh condemnations of the EP mean?
The editor of the portal "European Western Balkans" Nemanja Todorović Štiplija told "Vreme" that the new resolution of the European Parliament on Serbia is "the most direct and critical document that has been written so far about the political situation in the country".
"When the text openly names those responsible for repression, the normalization of violence and the collapse of institutions, it is clear that they are not referring to abstract processes, but to the concrete system of power embodied by Aleksandar Vučić and his closest circle of associates," explains Štiplija.
The President of the Executive Board of the Center for European Policies, Srđan Majstorović, also points out to "Vreme" that the resolution unequivocally specifies the responsibility of the regime for the escalation of violence during the protests in the past year.
"I would say that the resolution represents a small, but by no means insignificant, victory for all students, citizens, as well as opposition parties who, in the past year, stood for the basic principles of democracy on which the EU is based," emphasizes Majstorović.
He believes that it is important that this resolution will be delivered to all parliaments of the EU member states, so the public of the European Union will be able to learn about the nature of the democratic movement in Serbia and the nature of the violence for which the progressive regime in Belgrade is responsible.
Majstorović adds that the novelty in this resolution is an indication that the official introduction of sanctions against individuals who are found to be violating the law and endangering human rights will be requested.
"Until now, we have not seen an initiative like this. In order for it to come to life, it needs to be accepted by the European Commission, for the member states to reach a consensus regarding the introduction of such sanctions for individuals. However, the very call to the EU institutions to decide in some way how to sanction individuals who have been found to have violated laws and human rights is a significant step forward," explains Majstorović.
In the discussion about the situation in Serbia, it was also clearly stated that Belgrade could be denied financial support from the EU budget if things do not improve.
Opposition: Europe wants changes
Serbian parliamentary opposition parties claim that the EU finally wants to see changes in Serbia.
Radomir Lazović, an MP from the Green-Left Front in the National Assembly, told "Danas" after the session of the Commission of Inquiry held in the European Parliament in Strasbourg that "this is proof that Europe wants changes in Serbia."
"I don't think we should hide our satisfaction with what is happening, this spreads optimism that we have support in the European Parliament, as well as throughout Europe. Five groups initiated a resolution on Serbia, three groups invited the Commission of Inquiry and this represents a great support for the citizens of Serbia above all. I am satisfied and thank all parliamentary groups from Serbia who used their contacts to reach this in the European Parliament," Lazović explained.
Majstorović points out that despite the fact that citizens and students do not want to connect the protests with the process of European integration, the goal of Europe and students is definitely the same - "more democracy, more democratic institutions, just, fair and free elections, free media on the basis of which citizens will connect information and make free judgments about everyday phenomena in society, an independent judiciary".
What does this resolution mean for the citizens of Serbia?
A very important message from Strasbourg for the citizens of Serbia is that the regime of Aleksandar Vučić has been exposed, that the European parliamentarians know very well what is happening and that those who carry out violence and repression will bear the consequences. Up until now, the impression has been that the major problems faced by all those who rebelled against lawlessness and one-man rule in Serbia are invisible to the institutions of the European Union.
"It is difficult to say that Europe has 'changed', rather it could be said that it has stopped pretending not to see what is happening in Serbia. If the text is adopted on Wednesday in this form, it will be the sharpest and clearest message of the European Parliament to Serbia so far, not because the tone has changed, but because the truth has become too loud to be silenced", concluded Todorović Štiplija.
Majstorović explains that we should not expect that this resolution will lead to some kind of dramatic turn, bearing in mind that the last word for the process of Serbia's accession to the EU certainly rests with the member states.
"The 27 of them have different interests, and some kind of bilateral interests are in line with the current policy in Belgrade. Therefore, we should not expect that a consensus will be reached between them in the near future in condemning what is happening in Serbia", indicates Majstorović.
However, he concludes, this should not discourage citizens and students and all those who protest, because "democracy will not be brought to us by anyone from the European Union, the citizens must fight for democracy. And this resolution contributes to the visibility of the protest and a better understanding of what citizens, students and the opposition stand for".
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