21 Members of European Parliament have sent a letter to the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi regarding the “extremely serious” constitutional and human rights situation in Serbia.
The MEPs wrote that the open-ended state of emergency imposed by President Aleksandar Vucic as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic is both severe and disproportionate. They added it restricts human rights, not in order to prevent the spread of the virus but to impede movement and freedom of expression in the country.
It also highlighted the fact that a number of citizens have been detained for allegedly violating curfew measures but in fact, the real reason behind their arrest was criticism of government policy. They accused the Serbian government of wanting full control of the media so they could broadcast fake news, propaganda, and defamation against the European Union.
The MEPs also included Vucic’s statement that “European solidarity doesn’t exist” and is “just a fairytale”, noting the close relationship between Serbia, Russia, and China.
The group of cross-party MEPs ask the EU Commissioner to make a clear statement against the situation in Serbia, in particular the statements against the EU, and what steps can be taken against the extreme measures of the Serbian government.
Varhelyi has been asked to recommend political steps that the EC could make regarding the EU membership prospects of Serbia in case the government doesn’t revoke its repressive policies. These policies directly contravene common European values, the letter said.
The letter was signed by MEPs from various political groups including Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee Tanja Fajon, Head of the Western Balkans Task Force in the EP’s Foreign Policy Committee Tonino Picula as well as EP Rapporteur Kosovo Viola von Cramon-Taubadel.
