Academic Community Asks von der Leyen to Delay Serbia Visit Until After Election

Members of Serbia’s Academic Community have asked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to postpone her planned visit to Belgrade until after the election. They fear that media close to the authorities could use her appearance to send a political message: Europe supports the government in power.

The group said the visit had been planned well before parliamentary elections were announced. But if the vote takes place at the end of October, it could coincide with the final stage of the campaign. In that setting, the meaning attached to von der Leyen’s meeting with President Aleksandar Vučić could be shaped by political interests rather than by the purpose of the visit.

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Europe should not choose for Serbia. That should be done by the citizens of Serbia.

The letter cited repeated documentation by international observers and European institutions of an uneven electoral contest in Serbia. It referred to covert campaigning by state institutions and ruling parties, misuse of public resources, pressure on public-sector employees and a sharp reduction in media pluralism.

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Europe supports the current authorities.

The academics said they did not believe von der Leyen intended to support any political force, but argued that good intentions alone would not prevent her authority from being exploited. If she visits during the campaign, they asked her to make these concerns an official part of her program and to reaffirm standards expressed by the European Commission, the European Parliament and OSCE/ODIHR.

They also invited her to visit Novi Sad railway station and pay tribute to the victims of the canopy tragedy. The letter said such a gesture would not support any political actor, but would signal expectations for full, independent and credible answers from Serbian institutions about how the tragedy happened and who was responsible. The group said it was not asking her to support the student movement, the opposition or any electoral list, but to support no one and avoid actions that could be appropriated by participants in the election.

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We are not asking you to support the student movement, the opposition or any electoral list. We are asking you to support no one.