Đilas: EU involvement would ensure a peaceful solution to the crisis in Serbia

The president of the opposition Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), Dragan Đilas, assessed today in Brussels that the engagement of the European Union (EU), "instead of remaining silent", would provide a "peaceful solution to the greatest social and political crisis" in Serbia.

Speaking at the European Parliament, at a panel of European Social Democrats on EU enlargement, he said that he could not talk about Serbia joining the EU because it "does not exist", SSP reported.

The leader of the SSP said that for 13 years, since the Serbian Progressive Party has been in power, Serbia has not been getting closer to the EU, but rather moving away from it, and that "the European Commission and European leaders are silent."

"Merkel, Macron, Scholz, Ursula and their ilk have been silent for a decade about the decline of democracy, the growth of corruption and crime, the persecution and beatings of journalists and opposition politicians, and the abuse of the prosecutor's office" in Serbia, said Đilas.

He also said that "while (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vučić breaks students' jaws with baseball bats, declares the rector the face of evil, and takes teachers' salaries because they are on strike, the European Commission remains silent."

"The leaders of the EU member states are also silent while Vučić proclaims them to be financiers of some kind of color revolution," Đilas continued.

He said that "the only thing worse than that loud silence is when some of the European bureaucrats and leaders speak up" and "then we hear nonsense with which they try to hide their willingness to trade values ​​for interests: democracy for lithium, grenades for Ukraine for the rule of law, "rifles" (military aircraft) for media freedom, an airport for human rights. This interest-based support for a Balkan dictator, wrapped in a story about some kind of process, is the destruction of the idea of ​​a united Europe," said the SSP leader.

He added that "that is why today only a third of the population in Serbia supports the idea of ​​Serbia joining the EU", while 13 years ago "there were twice as many citizens in favor of joining".

"That's why today only nine percent of people in Serbia believe that this will ever happen. That's why Serbia is essentially no longer a candidate for EU membership, it's just that no one wants to say it out loud," Djilas pointed out.

The SSP leader also stated that the EU, "no matter what," is the only one who can help the citizens of Serbia.

"Inclusion in the solution to the crisis based on the model of Macedonia and Montenegro, sending a mission to Serbia, supporting the formation of a transitional government that will enable free and fair elections are moves that would ensure a peaceful solution to the greatest social and political crisis in my country," he suggested.

He assessed that "such moves would restore faith in the EU among citizens" and "would definitely turn people towards Europe because it would mean that Europe has not forgotten us."