"Brussels has ignored signs of strengthening autocracy", Picula: EC should take off its gloves when talking about Serbia

2025-11-03 19:25:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"Brussels has ignored signs of strengthening autocracy", Picula: EC

Tonino Picula

The European Parliament's rapporteur for Serbia, Tonino Picula, assessed that the European Commission's stance towards the power of Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i? has been "unfairly soft", adding that he expects the European Union's executive body to "take off its gloves - or at least one of them - when talking about Serbia".

Picula told N1 television that postponing a political solution to the "undeclared state of emergency in Serbia" could increase the risk of more serious clashes.

"For a long time, the European Union's – and indeed, first of all the European Commission's – stance towards Vu?i?'s Belgrade has been unfairly soft. Brussels has for years ignored the increasingly clear signs of the strengthening of autocracy in Serbia and the phenomena associated with it, such as corruption, the weakening of the institutions of the rule of law and the abandonment of the fundamental values ??on which the European order is based ," Picula said.

He added that Vu?i? has long had the support of well-known European politicians, primarily former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but also of several other politicians from EU member states, adding that "this position is gradually changing."

"I expect that tomorrow, Tuesday, during the publication of the European Commission's joint report on the situation in the candidate countries, this time he will take off his gloves - or at least one of them - when talking about Serbia, which has not happened in previous years," said Picula.

The European Commission, in its progress report on Serbia, has emphasized that the country continues to lag behind in terms of alignment with the European Union's foreign and security policy, as it has not imposed sanctions on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.

Also, increasing polarization in Serbia has been highlighted, as a result of the wave of mass protests that have been going on for a year.

The European Parliament in October adopted a resolution on polarization and repression in Serbia, supporting the right of students and citizens to peaceful protest and strongly condemning the wave of state-sponsored violence, acts of intimidation, and arbitrary arrests.

The resolution "On the polarization and increase of repression in Serbia, one year after the Novi Sad tragedy", assesses 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 European Parliament's rapporteur for Serbia, Tonino Picula, told N1 television that "the reaction is increasingly taking the form of repression, violence against all those who express their opinion on the streets, but not only on the streets."

"It seems to me that this is one of the phases of this civic revolt, and any delay in finding a political solution to this crisis – to this undeclared state of emergency in Serbia – could put the entire country at greater risk of a serious clash, which could simply end in a tragedy ," Picula said.

"A few months ago I said that more than anything I fear the 17th victim, so, in addition to the 16 people who lost their lives from the collapse of the concrete shelter, if a tragic incident occurs during the protests themselves, then the situation will become extremely serious ," he added.

Regarding the demands of the students who are maintaining the blockade, that the government announce early parliamentary elections, Picula said that there is no reason to believe that elections held under these circumstances would be free and fair, as the authorities in Serbia have not fulfilled "almost any" of the 25 recommendations of international observers.

"Because in Serbia, at this moment, there is still a complete dominance of the ruling party, namely of a man who certainly does not care about fulfilling what is expected of him, first and foremost by the citizens of Serbia, but also by the international community, especially the European Union, of which Serbia declares that it wants to be a part," Picula said.

A day earlier, Vu?i? declared that parliamentary elections in Serbia would be held ahead of schedule, but did not specify when. /REL