Today, Tonino Picula, the European Parliament’s Special Rapporteur for Serbia, remarked that the ongoing political crisis in Serbia has negatively affected the operations of the parliament. He emphasized that any physical threats to MPs are intolerable and expressed wishes for everyone’s swift recovery.

“Across Serbia, it is clear that the widespread civic movement is not only persisting but is gaining traction and support from the local communities wherever it takes place,” he stated in an interview with N1.

He asserted that it is ultimately the people of Serbia who must determine the form of government they wish to have, while the EU retains the authority to evaluate if such a government complies with the standards required in the accession process.

“The EU faces pressure not only from Vladimir Putin due to his war in Ukraine, but for the first time, it is also contending with a significantly adversarial American administration that is actively seeking to undermine the EU’s legitimacy,” he mentioned.

Furthermore, he noted that there is currently a lack of political capacity within the EU to take a more committed role in the matters of the Western Balkans.

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