The head of the delegation of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Marta Temido, called for an investigation into allegations of violence against protesters in Serbia and stressed that they continue to support Serbia's European perspective.
This Portuguese MEP from the Socialists and Democrats said at a press conference in Belgrade that freedom of speech is a fundamental right that must be respected, and that the safety of demonstrators and journalists must be ensured.
"We have also heard worrying reports regarding financial, administrative and physical pressures on academic staff and restrictions on media freedoms. We continue to monitor the judicial reforms being discussed in parliament, and there is a risk that the independence of the judiciary will be undermined," she said at the end of the delegation's visit to Belgrade.
During the day, they met with the Deputy Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Elvira Kovač, representatives of the ruling and opposition parties, Minister for European Integration Nemanja Starović, Foreign Minister Marko Đurić, and representatives of the media, civil society, and the academic community.
Temido said that discussions on the rule of law and democracy in Serbia were open and intense.
"Our visit shows that Serbia is a priority for us. We are here because we care about Serbia, about the citizens of this country. The European Parliament firmly believes that the EU will not be complete without the countries of the Western Balkans, and Serbia is among them," she said.
At a press conference at the European House, she stated that she and her interlocutors discussed elections, ODIHR recommendations, media freedoms, and the appointment of members of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM).
She further pointed out that the meetings discussed responsibility, freedom of expression and restoring citizens' trust in Serbian institutions.
Although top government officials had previously refused to meet with them, saying they were "not invited," the MEP told the media that the mission followed standard diplomatic protocol, was announced in advance, and was welcomed.
She softened her tone, saying that they could not meet with certain government representatives because "they happened not to be in the country today." Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić was at the World Economic Forum in Davos in recent days, and Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić was visiting Estonia. However, Brnabić was in Belgrade today and told reporters in the Parliament that the delegation's visit was political, "in order to support the blockaders."
Despite the topics of the meetings and the purpose of the visit, the main topic in the Serbian media yesterday and today was the debate over whether the delegation, because it included members from Croatia, wanted to avoid the exhibition about Jasenovac in the hall of the Serbian Parliament.
When asked by journalists how Serbia, with government representatives who react to EU delegations in this way, can move towards membership, Temido said that the European Union does not elect governments.
"We understand that sometimes there is no compatibility, that sometimes there are communication errors, and unwanted words are said. We felt a warm welcome here and, since we plan to walk the European path together, we will come again," she said.
She also denied that they demanded that they not visit an exhibition, stating that they had visited the disputed exhibition and that it "shows dark moments from history."
"I'm from Portugal, which is a decent country, but we've had such dark moments too. However, what's more important now is that we look to the future," she said.
The mission followed the European Parliament's Resolution on Serbia, which was adopted by a large majority, and which requested an on-the-ground examination of the state of democracy, ongoing protests, and repression of students and teachers.
The MEP stressed that she would further inform the Committee about the results of the mission.
The members of the delegation from the European People's Party (EPP) were Reinhold Lopatka from Austria, Davor Ivo Štir from Croatia and Rasa Juknjavičenje from Lithuania.
The Socialists and Democrats were represented by Temido and the European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, Tonino Picula from Croatia.
The Greens were represented in the delegation by Vladimir Prebilič from Slovenia, the Renew Europe group was represented by Helmut Brandstetter from Austria, the European Conservatives and Reformists by Šerban-Dimitrije Sturza from Romania, and the Europe of Sovereign Nations by Petr Bistron from Germany.
Picula and Štir did not appear at the conference.
The mandate of the AFET delegation stems from the European Parliament Resolution of 22 October 2025, which states that MEPs support sending a fact-finding mission to Serbia.
In the resolution, which stresses the need for a broader investigation into the extent to which corruption has led to the lowering of security standards and contributed to the Novi Sad tragedy, MEPs supported the right of students and citizens of Serbia to peaceful protest and strongly condemned the wave of state-sponsored violence, intimidation and indiscriminate arrests. They assessed that the Serbian leadership is politically responsible for the escalation of repression, the normalization of violence and the weakening of democratic institutions in the country.
The resolution, among other things, calls on the European Commission to launch an initiative to introduce targeted individual sanctions against those responsible for serious violations of the law and human rights, condemns the arbitrary and politically motivated use of presidential pardons for persons prosecuted for violence against students, as well as the establishment of an illegal pro-government tent camp in front of the Serbian Presidency, the so-called "Ćaciland".
The Serbian authorities are urged to ensure media freedom and senior officials to stop using inflammatory rhetoric that incites hostility or violence. The article notes with concern that the government appears to be negotiating with the owners of United Media to weaken the independent media within its ranks, warning that this represents a serious attack on Serbia's already threatened media pluralism.
An earlier European Parliament resolution, dated May 7, stated that Serbia, despite some progress, still needs to overcome significant obstacles on its path to the EU – primarily to improve internal political dialogue, implement reforms in the area of the rule of law and the fight against corruption, reach a comprehensive agreement on the normalization of relations with Kosovo, and fully align with the Union's foreign policy.
In the document, MEPs expressed deep concern about the systemic problems highlighted by student and other protests in Serbia, including issues of civil liberties, separation of powers, corruption, environmental protection, institutional and financial transparency, especially regarding infrastructure projects, and accountability.
The MEPs are expected to compile a report after the visit, the scope of which is difficult to assess at this point.
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