The European Parliament's rapporteur for Serbia, Croatian MEP Tonino Picula, stated today that Serbia would have to abandon the concept of a "Serbian world" and the destabilization of neighboring countries.
"It seems to me that, for a future in the EU, Serbia would first of all have to give up the concept of the 'Serbian world' and the destabilization of neighboring countries on which it has influence through political options and the Orthodox Church," Picula told N1 Croatia television.
When asked about Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić's meetings with European Union leaders, Picula said that it was good that there were meetings with the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, emphasizing that Vučić had a series of meetings with almost all relevant officials in the EU and NATO.
"After five months of avoiding clarity in describing what is happening in Serbia, it is high time that clear political messages were communicated to him from the highest levels, different from those that have alienated a large number of Serbian citizens from the European Union," Picula pointed out.
He considered it indicative that EU flags could not be seen at the protests in Serbia, but that there were Romanian ones, which drew attention to European Prosecutor Laura Kovesi as a symbol of the fight against corruption, which is the basis of the protests in Serbia.
"In this complex geopolitical situation, Von der Leyen must find a way to enforce clear guarantees that the region will not be destabilized, but also that Serbia will respect its own obligations, which would mean that it will be synchronized with the EU's legal heritage by 2026," Picula pointed out.
Asked about Vučić's claim to European representatives that a sound cannon was not used at the mass protest in Belgrade, Picula replied that the issue should not be closed.
"I think the EU's messages to Vučić are equally strong and resonant, not only to investigate what happened, but also that the current domestic and foreign policies cannot bring it closer to the European Union," Picula told N1 Croatia.
Although he stressed that Serbia's government is elected by its citizens, Picula pointed out that the EU should retain the right to assess how well it is meeting its obligations on its EU accession path. He said that there is an additional set of problems, such as compliance with the EU's common security and foreign policy, and Serbia remains the only country on its European path that has not yet taken any sanctions against Russia.
When asked about the attacks by Serbian tabloids that he is a frequent target of, Picula replied that Vučič was extremely critical of his actions even before he was appointed EP rapporteur for Serbia. "He talked about my origin, political affiliations, but that is alibi politics," Picula said, assessing that many of the problems of stagnation are far older than his appointment.
He concluded that the regime in Serbia has many times failed to fulfill its promises.
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