Group Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in to the European Parliament they are in solidarity with the students in Serbia who are seeking justice and responsibility for the 15 lives lost in the deadly collapse of the roof of the railway station in Novi Sad, which caused mass protests against the ruling elite under the slogan "Corruption kills", was published on the S&D website.
It was pointed out that the S&D group strongly supports the people's right to protest and strongly condemns all acts of intimidation, violence against demonstrators and oppression of foreign citizens.
"We are closely following the mass student protests in Serbia, fully aware of the historic power of Serbian students and the change they brought about in the 1990s with their protests against then-President Slobodan Milošević," said S&D Vice President for Expansion Kathleen Van Brempt.
She reminded that the students are asking the Government of Serbia to publish all documentation related to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station, including the contract with Chinese companies.
"We fully support their call for justice and accountability of the key institutions of Serbia, which are responsible for the safety and well-being of citizens." In this context, we are particularly concerned about the seriously limited functioning of the Serbian parliament. There has been no regular session since last October. "This lack of institutional activity exacerbates tensions on the streets, as there are no formal channels for resolving political disagreements," said Van Brempt.
Picula: Strong condemnation of intimidation and violence against protesters
S&D MEP and European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia Tonino Picula stated that reports of intimidation and violence against students on the streets, including the involvement of secret services and hooligans linked to the ruling party, are deeply worrying.
"Unfortunately, more alarming news is coming from Serbia. "We strongly condemn any form of intimidation or violence against protesters," Picula said.
He repeated the call to Serbia, a candidate for EU membership, to support European values - democracy, human rights and basic freedoms.
"This includes the obligation to provide the public with credible information, instead of spreading the narrative of a 'color revolution supported by the West', which is used by the ruling party and pro-government media only to discredit the protesters," Picula concluded.
