The Group of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament has called on the European Commission and High Representative Kaja Kalas to react immediately regarding the presence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at the "Vladimir Putin parade" in Moscow.
The red line has been crossed and there can no longer be a continuation of business as if nothing had happened, the Group warned on the sidelines of a seminar on European Union enlargement, which is being held today in Ljubljana as part of the "SiD Willy Brandt EU Enlargement Program".
Social Democrat Vice-President for EU Enlargement Kathleen Van Brempt and MEP and European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia Tonino Picula sent these messages in a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, High Representative Kaja Kalas and Enlargement Commissioner Marti Kos.
"We are deeply concerned about developments in Serbia, in particular the growing backsliding of democracy under President Vučić and his government, marked by attacks on the rule of law and democracy. We call on the European Commission to take a strong stance," said Kathleen Van Brempt.
"This week, students from Serbia ran from Novi Sad to Brussels to draw attention to their demands for transparency, accountability and the rule of law. These young people are asking for what we all want – a better future for Serbia. They are calling for what the European Commission and the entire EU have been asking for from Serbia since the beginning of the accession process," she said.
Yet, while the people of Serbia are seeking democracy and justice, he adds, their president chooses to stand with Putin at a military parade in Moscow. "This is clearly crossing a red line. The EU must not leave this unanswered. The High Representative has made it clear: if the President of Serbia chooses Moscow over Europe, there must be consequences," Van Brempt reminds.
It is time to act on that warning, she said.
"There can be no more business as usual. The EU must immediately stop pandering to President Vučić. History has taught us that such an approach is not only ineffective, but also dangerous. The EU has pandered to Putin for too long, and now we are all paying the price. We must not repeat the same mistake with Vučić."
Picula recalls that the parliament clearly stated in its recent report on Serbia that accession negotiations should only progress if the country complies with EU sanctions against Russia and makes significant progress in EU-related reforms.
He says that Vučić, by attending Putin's military parade, has once again shown open disrespect for EU values and principles. "Therefore, the SiD Group calls on the European Commission to initiate discussions on reviewing Serbia's accession process. In the current state, the country cannot credibly progress on its path to EU membership."
"In this context, it is also important to emphasize that our report on Serbia resolutely rejects unfounded accusations that the EU and some of its member states were involved in organizing student protests with the aim of starting a 'color revolution'. These anti-EU narratives fuel the decline in public support for Serbia's EU integration and strengthen the influence of foreign authoritarian actors in the country," Picula points out.
The Social Democrats, he says, further call on the Commission to put pressure on the ruling majority in Serbia to fully and without delay implement the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission after the December 2023 elections. "These reforms must be completed before any new elections. Free and fair elections are the foundation of any functioning democracy," Picula said.
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