Serbia: Students run for Brussels, oppose the European Union

After 18 days, after eight countries and 1,950 km (1,211 mi), Serbia students arrived in the Belgian capital on Tuesday, completing their ultra marathon from Novi Sad to Brussels.Congratulations by citizens at the entrance of major European Union institutions, they arrived at the voice of the Italian partisan anthem “Bela Siao”.Among them was the family of Pennswo’s veterinary student Dunja Stanojkovic. Her parents and elder sister saw her arrival with a mixture of pride, anxiety and enthusiasm.“We expect a better life in Serbia, that our children will not need to leave the country and we will bring back democracy to Serbia,” her mother Dragana told DW.Back home in Serbia, now protests have been taking place for more than six months.Initially 16 people were killed by the collapse of a concrete umbrella at the entrance of the train station in Novi Sad, demonstrated for justice and accountability and have evolved into widespread struggle against totalitarianism and corruption.

MEPS is welcome students:

Brussels, students say, their opposition is just another stop on the journey program. He came here to inform European authorities for the first time about the situation of Serbia.“We want to highlight problems and know people in Serbia and people around the world what we are doing,” student Uros Obradovis told DW. “From the European Union, we expect understanding and support for our constant fighting.”The first stop in his three -day visit to European institutions was European Parliament.European MPs were in hand to congratulate him and congratulate him for his courage and activism.

European Union stance on Serbia:

These MPs recently adopted the latest progress report of the European Union on Serbia, which refers to many issues raised by students directly.“The biggest obstacle for the progress of Serbia is the nature of its government, which is created by the European Parliament Rapporter Tonino Picula” for Serbia, by Tonino Picula, told DW.He said, “We can’t just accept a wish list from Belgrade, while its behavior – such as the Serbian President’s presence in Putin’s military parade in Moscow recently sends the opposite message,” he said.The harsh words of the European Parliament are not new. However, it is new that the Center has also joined the criticism of the Center, the European People’s Party (EPP), of which Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party is also a colleague member.This is particularly important, a regional website, which specializes in the European integration process, explains Nemenja Todorovic Stipliza, Editor -in -chief of the European Western Balkan, as the EPP is the most powerful political group in the European Parliament.“Donald tusks and when there was a diplomatic push and [Kyriakos] Stipliza says, ‘Mitsotkis visited Serbia to push the person a little, but it did not succeed. “Now, for the first time, EPP has released a rapid word statement stating that a member of EPP should not attend the parade in Moscow.”

‘Von deer Leyen Can’t stay silent forever ‘

During his three -day visit by Brussels, students are expected to meet with the increase in the enlargement commissioner Marta Kos and Commissioner for Youth, Sport and Intergrainal Dialogue Glenn Mikrif.During the recent visit to Serbia, Kos said that the students have alignd with the demands of what the European Commission itself is asking Serbia, and that the Novi Sad does not have a tragedy if the rule of the law is respected.“European Commission Chairman Ursula von Der Leyen will not be able to remain silent forever,” Slovenian MEP Irena Joveva told DW. “I told her that she kills ignorance – really kills. Now the pressure is also on her, because it is a fight for the European values ​​that she is representing.”Picula also expects a response, as as he notes, the European Union has its credibility line.“You may not have a reliable enlargement policy, which does not make real changes to the knocking countries on the door of Europe – especially Serbia, which, due to its size and importance, may be the most important candidate in the Western Balkan, due to its size and importance. That is why how we reach Serbia, now it matters for the future of growth, “he said.

Money as leverage:

It seems, it seems, already turned into action: due to failure to fulfill the obligations mentioned in Serbia’s so -called development plan, the European Union has postponed € 111 million ($ 124 million) disbursement in assistance.According to this plan, Serbia adopted a reform agenda, which included specific goals, which are to be met by 2027. These targets, which align with their European Union’s rescue commitments, included media law changes, selection of new members for media regulators (REM) and an amendment of the voter registry.“The European Commission is hoping that the reform agenda would forces Serbian authorities to eventually function on the integration of the European Union, as the process has been stopped for three years,” Stipliza explained.He believes that the pressure will intensify – not only from the Commission but also from the European Union member states and EPP – because Serbia is the only Western Balkan country that has not met its obligations under the reform agenda and therefore, has not received money.Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia have all made much more progress.

What will students do next?

“The student movement is at an intersection,” Tonino Picula told DW. “Now we need a clear answer to very concrete questions about what will happen next in Serbia.”After months of debate, students openly announce that the election is only a viable method and has been called for a date to determine by mid -May. They also plan to prepare their own election list, although the details of what it will happen will not be clear.Sources talking to DW say that the European Union has so far adopted a clear place on elections and perhaps unless Serbia implements the recommendations to improve the electoral conditions mentioned by the OSCE office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).Irena Joveva said, “This is not our responsibility or right – nor will we try – to interfere in internal politics,” Irena Jowwa said. “But we support them in a fight that is also the Battle of the European Union. And I really believe, expect and demand – as many others do – these electoral conditions are appropriate, because it is the foundation of democracy.”