On February 25, representatives from opposition parliamentary groups in Serbia convened in Belgrade with Tonino Picula, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Serbia. During their discussions, they asserted that establishing a transitional government is essential for initiating dialogue in the country.

The meeting was facilitated by Miroslav Aleksić, MP and leader of the opposition People’s Movement of Serbia, who outlined the significant political and social crisis currently affecting Serbia, according to a statement from the Serbian Parliament.

“Efforts must focus on normalizing the situation, which is why we, as opposition parties, propose the establishment of a transitional government,” Aleksić stated.

Picula highlighted that his visit aims to gather comprehensive information to prepare an objective report on Serbia for the European Parliament.

This report is scheduled to be presented to European Parliament members in May.

Opposition MPs including Marinika Tepić, Zdravko Ponoš, Biljana Đorđević, Borko Stefanović, Pavle Grbović, and Đorđe Stanković expressed that the current predicament results from a lack of rule of law, inadequate conditions for fair and democratic elections, failing institutions, and insufficient media freedom.

They collectively agreed that a transitional government is the only viable solution capable of fostering political dialogue and engagement.

In Serbia, mass protests led by students have persisted for months, urging accountability from authorities over the tragedy in Novi Sad.

Students, who are currently blocking over 60 faculties nationwide, demand political and criminal accountability for the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad Railway Station, which resulted in 15 fatalities and left two others severely injured.

During the meeting between opposition parliamentary groups and Picula, it was noted that his visit coincides with an ongoing investigation by the prosecutor’s office into the operations of non-governmental organizations in Serbia. Additionally, the recent arrest of opposition councilors in Novi Sad following the mayoral election adds strain to the situation, as mentioned in the statement.

The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade confirmed on February 25 that police have started “collecting information” regarding the actions of four NGOs amidst suspicions of misusing funds from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

This action has been condemned by various opposition factions in Serbia.

Furthermore, on February 24, some opposition parties announced that their city councilors were detained during a riot outside the Novi Sad City Assembly. The police verified the detention of five individuals on that day.

After presenting his draft report on Serbia to the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on February 20, Picula assessed that Serbia had made “limited or no overall progress” in fulfilling EU membership criteria.

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