After the meeting with the President of Serbia, Ursula von der Leyen stated that Serbia must implement reforms for EU accession. Although not so detailed and harsh, some interpret this tweet by the president of the European Commission as a hint of a decrease in her support for the authorities in Serbia.
After months of record protests in Serbia, the EU has finally broken its silence - offering a rare but measured criticism of Belgrade, writes Politiko.
"The country must implement reforms for EU accession, in particular take decisive steps towards media freedom, the fight against corruption and electoral reform," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on the X social network. on Tuesday evening, after a working dinner with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić.
At the meeting, which was also attended by the President of the European Council, Antonio Košta, the current political situation in Serbia and its path to EU membership were discussed.
It was held at a crucial moment for Vučić, who failed to quell the student blockades and protests that have been going on for more than four months, reminds Politiko.
"It's time for the EU to wake up"
Last week, 32 MEPs sent a letter asking Ursula von der Leyen to cancel the meeting.
"It is important that the Commission cooperates with him (Vučić)," said Slovenian MP from the ranks of the Greens, Irena Joveva.
"But before he is given a platform to use for an unreal show at home, the EU should make it clear that the Serbian protesters are asking for exactly what the EU supposedly expects from Serbia, but failed to achieve."
"The EU has lost a lot of credibility in recent years in the Western Balkans and now it's time for it to finally wake up and radically change its policy," Joveva added.
If we leave aside the criticism of the head of the European Commission, who until a few months ago generously praised the democratic reforms in Serbia, and whom many see as an important pillar of support for the current government in Serbia, part of the public interpreted her tweet as a tightening of rhetoric towards the government of Aleksandar Vučić.
Is the European Commission redefining its stance on Vučić?
Member of the European Parliament Gordan Bosanac told N1 that it was obvious that the letter sent by 32 members of this parliament before the meeting, of which he was one of the initiators, to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, resonated in the European institutions and that it contributed to taking a much harsher stance towards Vučić.
He adds that one of the goals that the letter fulfills is to put the visit in the framework it should be in, which is that important changes are taking place in Serbia and that we have a large number of people who advocate European values.
"We asked that that meeting not take place at this moment, precisely because we were aware that that meeting could be misused, that it could be presented as a laurel or as a success," he said.
"Plus, we think it is not good at this moment to talk to the leadership in Serbia, which is clearly against fundamental European values, which are advocated by the other side that we hear on the streets of Serbia and Belgrade," said the Bosnian.
As he added, it was not expected that Von der Leyen would cancel that meeting, "but what I can say is that that letter resonated a lot in European institutions and created an atmosphere that one must think three times before saying something and deciding something."
According to his assessment, the position of the European Commission towards the President of Serbia is now being redefined, and this is evident from the messages sent by von der Leyen.
Interlocutor N1 also says that now there can be more emphasis and insistence on seeing what is really happening in Serbia and whether the reforms implemented there are real.
"I hope that now the Commission will see through and see that in fact there is a huge majority of people in Serbia who want to live normally, who do not want to live in a corrupt state, who want the rule of law, order and solidarity. And I think that the Commission should hear these messages and somehow give them some kind of political support. Of course, it remains to be seen how a new government will be formed or not, and whether that new government will have an open path and a desire to move towards the EU," said the Bosnian.
Sources: N1, Politiko
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