Debate time for Serbia resolution in EU Parliament secondary to text, says rapporteur

European Parliament rapporteur Irena Joveva has cautioned against premature celebration regarding the reduced debate time for Serbia's resolution in the European Parliament. She emphasized that the substance of the resolution, not its duration, holds the true significance.

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I hope nobody rejoices too soon, because the essence is not in the length of the debate, but in the text of the resolution itself.

"I hope nobody rejoices too soon, because the essence is not in the length of the debate, but in the text of the resolution itself," Joveva told Danas. She described the resolution's text as a realistic assessment of the situation with a rather sharp tone, which she noted is largely supported by the majority of MEPs from the European People's Party (EPP) group.

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The essence of the text represents a real cross-section of the situation and its tone is quite sharp.

Joveva suggested that the resolution, which she expects to be adopted, clearly indicates the progress, or lack thereof, made by Serbia in the past year. She acknowledged that the views of the EPP on Serbia's progress align significantly with those of liberals and socialists, despite her personal reservations about the EPP group. "Therefore, I would not delve into the motives or internal processes of other political groups," she stated.

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Therefore, I would not delve into the motives or internal processes of other political groups, and I am not a fan of the EPP group, because it is certainly very difficult for someone who stands behind their principles, but I am always fair and in this case, it is a fact that the positions of the European People's Party – when it comes to the (non)progress of Serbia – largely coincide with the positions of us liberals or socialists.

She speculated that the adoption of new procedural rules within the European Parliament, which limit overall plenary session time, might be a reason some favored a direct vote on the resolution without further debate. Although the debate will be shortened, with only one representative from each political group speaking, Joveva reiterated that the resolution's text remains the crucial element, downplaying the political significance of procedural nuances or speculation.

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In any case, and I must emphasize this clearly, a shortened debate will be held, with one representative from each political group speaking. However, the essence remains in the text of the resolution, so I would not attach special political significance to the procedure itself or someone's motives or various speculations.