Serbia should make an additional effort to support freedom of expression and strengthen human rights institutions, EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell said in his Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World, suggesting that all Serbian politicians need to fight against hate speech.
The political climate in Serbia is polarised, the report on 2021 wrote. “Inflammatory rhetoric is used in parliamentary debates against political opponents and representatives of other institutions that have expressed different political views,” Borrell said in the report.
These included verbal attacks by representatives of the ruling coalition against civil society organisations and media.
“All politicians should combat hate speech and contribute to a political dialogue about reforms in the European integration process, particularly in the areas of democracy and the rule of law,” the report stated.
Borrell went on to say that institutions should step up cooperation with civil society, accepting it as a vital partner in the reform process and the guarantor of an efficient balance of power.
Having concluded that Serbia’s legislative and institutional framework in fundamental rights was largely aligned with international and European standards, the EU high representative suggested that it is necessary to ensure the consistent and efficient implementation of laws and policies.
