EU rapporteur: Serbia's parliament speaker fuels demonization of opponents

European Parliament rapporteur Tonino Picula has accused Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić of fostering a climate of demonization against political opponents. Picula stated that Brnabić's "excessive reactions" to a sonic cannon incident from March 2025 are fueling a campaign already underway in pro-government media.

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With her excessive reactions, the Speaker of Parliament Brnabic is creating conditions for the continuation of the harassment that has already begun through the regime's tabloids. This speaks volumes about the nervous reactions of the regime, which is under great pressure from its own citizens, and will try everything to demonize political opponents in a situation where elections are very likely to be held in the coming period.

"Her nervous reactions speak volumes about a regime under pressure from its own citizens, which will try everything to demonize political opponents," Picula wrote on social media platform X. He suggested this is particularly likely as elections may be held soon. Picula also highlighted Serbia's invitation of Russian FSB agents to investigate the sonic cannon incident, calling it an "unbelievable move for a candidate country" that raises concerns among European institutions and questions Serbia's commitment to its European path.

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Their so-called commitment to the European Union is sufficiently shown by the fact that they invited Russian FSB agents to investigate this serious incident, which is an unbelievable move for a candidate country, as it not only raises doubts among European institutions but also calls into question its principled commitment to the European path.

Brnabić, however, reiterated her stance that the "sonic cannon affair" was fabricated to pressure Serbia. She previously claimed the story about the sonic cannon at a student protest on March 15, 2025, was planned to assassinate President Aleksandar Vučić and incite civil war. Students involved in the protest have denied these claims, stating that a document cited by the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade was created two months before the protest. This document, they explained, was part of a meeting to discuss security risks and potential police interventions during a planned blockade.

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The affair of the sonic cannon was invented with the aim of pressuring Serbia.

Picula, who has authored regular reports on Serbia and worked on resolutions concerning polarization and police violence, noted that such attacks from a high-ranking Serbian government official are "personal, targeted, and repeated without basis." He emphasized that his work, alongside colleagues from other political groups in the EP, has focused on these issues within Serbia.

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The lie about the use of a sonic cannon at the student protest on March 15 last year in Belgrade was planned with the idea of assassinating President Aleksandar Vučić and causing a civil war in the country.