The downfall of the Serbian government is the result of pressure from the domestic public led by students on President Aleksandar Vučić and not pressure from abroad, MEP Tonino Picula, the European Parliament’s permanent rapporteur for Serbia, told Hina news agency on Tuesday.
“The fall of the Serbian Government is the result of increasingly strong pressure on the regime of Aleksandar Vučić by the spontaneously mobilized domestic public led by students, and not the “invisible hand” of forces from abroad as the Prime Minister presents in the article. Quite the opposite, some of the most influential politicians from EU member states, just like the President of the Commission, they provided open support to the Serbian President,” said Picula.
“It remains to be seen whether this support for the autocracy will remain unchanged even after the evident collapse of the previous model of governing Serbia. The question must also be answered whether the mass protests have sufficient transformational capacity for deeper changes in the country? It certainly depends on the further moves of the opposing parties,” he assessed.
Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned on Tuesday, saying he was doing so because of “objective responsibility” for the tragedy in Novi Sad on November 1 last year, but at the same time claiming that the unrest in Serbia was “vilely orchestrated” abroad.
Social Democrats in the EP -Supported students
Ahead of the fall of the Serbian government and the subsequent resignation of Novi Sad Mayor Milan Đurić, the Picula Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D) expressed its support for students in Serbia on Tuesday.
The Social Democrats in the European Parliament stand in solidarity with the Serbian students who are demanding justice and accountability for the 15 lives lost in the collapse of the railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which sparked mass protests against the ruling elite under the slogan ‘Corruption Kills’, they point out in a statement.
S&D supports the right of students to protest in Serbia and strongly condemns intimidation, violence against protesters and actions against foreign citizens.
“Reports of intimidation and violence against students in the streets, including the involvement of secret services and hooligans linked to the ruling party, are deeply worrying. We strongly condemn any form of intimidation or violence against protesters. Unfortunately, more alarming news is coming from Serbia. We are also warned of oppression civil society activists, including citizens of the European Union, on January 22. We demand explanations for the unprecedented detention and deportation of civil society activists who participated in the seminar in Belgrade, and who are prohibited from entering Serbia because they ‘represent a security risk’,” warned Picula in that statement.
Kathleen Van Brempt, S&D’s vice-president for enlargement, said that they are “closely following the student protests in Serbia, fully aware of the historical power of Serbian students and the changes they brought about in the 90s with their protests against the then president Slobodan Milošević.”
The MEP adds that she is also worried about the limited work of the Serbian parliament. “There has been no real session since last October, and no session since November. This lack of institutional activity worsens tensions on the streets because there are no official channels for resolving political disagreements,” said the social democrat.
Picula and Van Brempt agree that Serbia cannot progress towards membership in the European Union in this way.
“We repeat the call to Serbia, a candidate for EU membership, to support European values - democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms. This includes the obligation to provide credible information to the public, instead of spreading the narrative of a ‘color revolution supported by the West’, which the ruling party and pro-government media they are only used to discredit the protesters,” Picula said.
Van Brempt said that “without full respect for European values and rules, there can be no progress for Serbia on its path towards the EU, nor the opening of new chapters or clusters in the accession negotiations.”
