The European Union hopes that Serbia pushes forward with reforms to facilitate its accession process and appease citizens who have been protesting the government over the same issues in the past months.
Enlargement commissioner Marta Kos visited Belgrade this week and met with new Serbian Prime Minister Djuro Macut.
The prime minister entered into office a month ago, after prolonged protests across the country following the collapse of a train station concrete canopy that killed 16 people in Serbia’s second city of Novi Sad back in November. Protesters called on widespread corruption as the ultimate cause of the disaster.
However, rather than answer to the protesters’ demands, the real mastermind of Serbian politics, President Aleksandar Vucic took a more authoritarian turn, with a tightening of some democratic freedoms and a violent response to protests. Just last Monday, protesters in Novi Sad were dispersed with batons and pepper sprays, and several were reported as injured.
Young protesters have been trying to keep the momentum going and push a more energetic EU response, with cycling marches to Strasbourg, France, Brussels, Belgium, and the EU headquarters, and the Council of Europe – Serbia is a member of the latter.
During her meeting with Macut, Kos urged Serbia to make the necessary changes to meet EU criteria on the rule of law, judiciary functioning and fair elections. “Without these changes, Serbia cannot progress in the European path, and I know that what we are asking for is very close to the demands of the citizens who are and were protesting on the streets of Serbia,” Kos said.
