Behind closed doors: Which Christian Democrats still guard Vučić?

"After the election victory of the opposition in Hungary, the leading critics of the president Aleksandar Vučić they are looking for more support from Berlin and Brussels", writes the German portal Table.Briefings, which specializes in briefings from politics and other fields.

"Unfortunately, I don't see as much support from the EU for the Serbian opposition and the student movement as for Tisza in Hungary," opposition member Aleksandar Kavčić told reporters.

He believes that the German Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) are "decisive" for Europe's attitude towards the Vučić regime.

The portal assesses that Christian Democratic politicians have "close contacts" with Vučić, whose Serbian Progressive Party is part of the European People's Party.

Kavčić was in Berlin last week and talked with representatives of Christian Democrats. Now he tells the journalists that they have a hold there because of economic interests.

"German politicians are afraid of instability and deterioration of the business climate, in case of Vučić's downfall," says Kavčić. "But instability is created by the regime's unlimited corruption and suppression of the opposition."

According to Kavčić, a new center-right force in Serbia can only emerge when the SNS collapses.

Photo: AP Photo/Michel Euler

Behind-the-scenes and loud criticism

Til Hope and Stefan Izrael, experienced journalists who sign the article, state that "the leading politicians of the Christian Democrats generally refrain from open criticism."

"It is heard from Christian Democrats that they do not want to jeopardize the possibility of influencing the president (Vučić). In addition, there are doubts about the ability of parts of the ultra-nationalist opposition to agree on a platform and a candidate modeled after Peter Magyar's Tisza," the journalists write.

It is estimated that Vučić works hard for good relations with Berlin, and even "receives ordinary German deputies personally in the presidential palace".

"The former Minister of Information of the dictator Slobodan Milosevic is, according to his interlocutors, very involved in lulling his interlocutors and rhetorically parrying any criticism," the article reads.

However, some German Christian Democrats are speaking out. "I think it is important to speak decisively with Vučić," says David Pryzendanz, who is in charge of EU enlargement in the CDU parliamentary group. He adds that Vučić is "on the wrong path" and that there is unity in the CDU/CSU.

Prijzendanc particularly criticizes the new set of judicial laws known in Serbia as "Mrdić's Laws".

And he notes that it is not enough that Vučić writes original texts for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. He is referring to the text of Vučić and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, in which they demand quick membership in the EU, even without the right of veto.

Photo: Tanjug/Jadranka Ilić

Exclusion from the ENP is still under consideration

Officially, the European People's Party (ENP) has been examining since September whether to terminate the SNS's associated membership with that European family of parties.

"The ENP is divided on this issue," writes Table.Briefings. "Christian Democrats and conservatives from the Benelux and Scandinavian countries are in favor of exclusion. Italians, Greeks or Cypriots want the SNS to remain and the dialogue to continue. The party leadership reports that it notices Vučić's efforts not to sever ties with the EU."

The text states that a much harsher position is taken by other parties in the European Parliament, including the European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos herself. She openly said that the European Commission is considering whether funds from EU accession funds will be frozen for Serbia.

Kos particularly emphasized the expectation that the authorities "fully adapt" judicial laws to the recommendations of the Venice Commission and "re-establish media freedom".

As Table.Briefings writes, for the Serbian opposition, the "test of the Hungarian scenario" could come sooner than thought.

Dutch MEP Thijs Reuten, from the ranks of the Social Democrats, says that Vučić is "nervous" after Orbán's defeat.

The text concludes: "Vučić could schedule early elections as early as the end of June or July, in order to catch the opposition and the student movement off guard. In recent polls, the Serbian president has clearly lost popularity."

Source: Deutsche Welle (DW)

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