8 hours agoMEPs write to Leenen: EU urgently needs to support protesters, warn authorities in Serbia
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)MEPs have written an open letter asking European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to urgently respond and support protest rights in Serbia. Their letter, published by Slovenian eurodeput Irena Joveva “honoured President of the Ursula von der Leyen, We MPs [...]
MEPs have written an open letter asking European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to urgently respond and support protest rights in Serbia.
Their letter, published by Slovenian eurodeput Irena Joveva
Dear President of the Ursula Commission von der Leenen,
We, the MEPs of the European Parliament, are heading towards the current protests in Serbia, where citizens seek transparency, accountability and rule of law, while at the same time receive neither principled nor symbolic support from the EU's top representatives. Protesters' demands reflect the very values upon which the European Union was founded. As Serbia advances on its path towards EU membership, the Commission has the responsibility to stand firm for democratic freedoms and anti-corruption it promotes so proudly, especially when these values are under threat.
We believe that the situation in Serbia, which led to protests, is the culmination of long-standing discontent, including the EU's very soft and soft policy towards Serbia in recent years. We believe that the EU's engagement with Serbia should focus on concrete measures for strengthening the rule of law. In line with the Rule of the Growth Plan, Serbia is obliged to respect democratic mechanisms, including free and fair elections, an independent judiciary, pluralistic media and rule of law. The Commission must ensure that these conditions are met before EU funds are approved and constantly monitoring them throughout the process. Furthermore, extending the competence of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) to candidate countries and implementing regulations for conditioning the EU budget for access funds to candidate countries would further ensure accountability and transparency.
Serbia's response to these protests will be a crucial test of its dedication to European standards. Civil society organisations and EU citizens of Serbian origin have voiced concerns about the crackdown, including police raids on NGOs and violence against peaceful protesters.
Students and activists are leading protests on accountability and transparency, which is in line with EU principles. The commission must act urgently to protect the fundamental rights of these protesters, particularly the right to freedom of rally, and ensure that the Serbian government respects them.
We encourage you, as European Commission President, to publicly warn Serbia's Government by 15 March that any oppression will directly affect its European integration. This includes condemning intimidation, violence, mobilizing anti-demonstria and excessive presence of police. A clear statement would now send a strong message that the EU will not tolerate further erosion of democratic freedoms in Serbia.
Citizens of Serbia deserve European Union support in their fight for democracy and justice. We are willing to work with you to ensure that the European Parliament remains a reliable ally in this<x0-> war.
