The beginning of the end of EU support and understanding for the government in Serbia

While the government in Serbia increasingly resorts to violence, repression, and the intimidation of its own citizens—especially young people who peacefully and courageously fight for dignity and democracy—the European Union is directing growing attention to those who are filling the streets of Serbia with meaning and hope.

During her first visit to Serbia after being appointed European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos met with students and representatives of the civil protests and sent a clear and strong message. What citizens and students are demanding—the rule of law, fair elections, free media, and responsible governance—is fully aligned with the values that the EU not only promotes but also expects from its partners: “I hear you. I want to repeat that what the EU is asking from Serbia is fully in line with the demands of the protesting citizens.”

Significant support also came from one of the most influential EU member states, Austria. The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, welcomed the student marathon runners in Vienna and said on that occasion: “What the students want is the same as what the European Union wants. We want to see progress, results, democracy, the rule of law, and a perspective for all of you. What you are doing is amazing and brave.”

At the same time, a report by the Council of Europe confirms what the vast majority of citizens in Serbia already know. The systemic erosion of trust in institutions, the suffocation of political pluralism, and the abuse of the media have become defining features of governance in Serbia. An additional warning came from the European Court of Human Rights, which imposed a temporary measure against Serbia due to a well-founded suspicion of the use of sound weapons against demonstrators. This is yet another indication that international institutions no longer trust the domestic mechanisms for the protection of human rights. The Citizens’ Movement Solidarity – Self-Defense – Liberation welcomes and encourages the concrete engagement and monitoring by senior EU representatives of the authoritarian actions of the authorities in Serbia. We view the announced visit of Kaja Kallas, Vice President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Policy and Security, as a final opportunity to clearly articulate demands to the Government and the President of the Republic of Serbia for the permanent establishment of democratic standards in their treatment of their own citizens as a basic precondition for fulfilling Serbia’s proclaimed goal of full EU membership.

If this opportunity is missed, one unavoidable conclusion will remain—one that the government will no longer be able to conceal: Aleksandar Vučić is not, and cannot be, a guarantor of stability. He cannot ensure internal peace, let alone regional stability. A regime that continues to send the police against students and citizens who are peacefully protesting is a regime that has lost its moral, domestic, and international political integrity and legitimacy.

Europe is rightly directing its attention toward the citizens of Serbia—toward those who believe in freedom, dignity, and democratic principles. This is a clear sign that the end of an authoritarian era has begun.