The Austrian liberal party NEOS (Das Neue Österreich und Liberales Forum) has asked the European Commission (EC) to suspend accession negotiations with Serbia, as well as payments from European funds, after representatives of the Serbian authorities publicly paid their respects Ratko Mladić.
The former commander of the Republika Srpska Army, Ratko Mladić, was sentenced to life imprisonment before the Hague Tribunal genocidal and other war crimes.
NEOS MP in the European Parliament (EP) Helmut Brandstetter assessed that the reactions of Serbian officials after Mladic's death crossed a "red line" and represented the opposite of the values on which it rests European Union (EU).
"Ratko Mladić was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. When representatives of the authorities of a candidate country for EU membership glorify such a man after his death, the red line has been crossed," said Brandstäter, adding that such an attitude towards the convicted war criminal represents "a mockery of the victims and their families."
European Commission: Glorification of war criminals is contrary to European values
Brandsteter called on the EC to - until the authorities in Belgrade "unequivocally reject the glorification of convicted war criminals" - suspend negotiations on Serbia's accession to the EU and stop all payments to Serbia.
He also requested that the EU does not grant Serbia further concessions in connection with Schengen integration.
"Serbia belongs to Europe and should become part of the EU. But that implies unconditional respect for human rights," Brandstetter said.
Who are Brandstetter and NEOS?
Brandsteter is a member of the political group Renew Europe in the EP. In the current convocation of the EP, he is a member of the Committee for Foreign Affairs and the Delegation for Relations with Serbia.
NEOS is an Austrian liberal, pro-European party founded in 2012. The party positions itself as a political center, with an emphasis on individual freedoms, transparency, reforms and the rule of law. Since 2014, NEOS has been a member of the European liberal political family ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe).
Photo: European Union/WikipediaHelmut Brandstetter
In the 2024 EP elections, NEOS won two of the 20 Austrian mandates, and both MPs are in the Renew Europe group. NEOS, therefore, by itself does not have a large numerical influence in the EP, and NEOS MPs operate within Renew Europe, which in the current convocation has 77 MPs and represents the fifth largest political group in the EP.
The most important allies of Renew Europe in the EP are traditionally EPP - European People's Party, the largest group in the EP and S&D - Socialists and Democrats, the second largest group in the EP. Those two groups, together with Renew Europe, make up the pro-European center which, after the 2024 elections, continued to collaborate on majority formation and key decisions.
NEOS is not an ally of right-wing groups like Patriots for Europe or ECR, but belongs to a liberal, pro-European bloc. In the current convocation of the European Parliament, NEOS has two deputies, but Brandstetter's position in the management of Renew Europe and his membership in the Foreign Affairs Committee and the delegation to Serbia give him greater political relevance for Serbian issues than the number of NEOS mandates alone would suggest.
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