European Social Democrats: No more EU money for Vučić's democratic backsliding

The European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs has adopted an annual report on Serbia, urging the European Commission to suspend further funding from the Instrument for Reform and Growth for the Western Balkans. The report, prepared by MEP Tonino Picula, cites continued backsliding in the rule of law and democratic standards as the primary reason.

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The situation in Serbia, which has been a cause for serious concern for a long time, has worsened considerably over the past year, with the continuous erosion of political rights and civil liberties, the systematic weakening of institutions, regression in key areas of the accession process and the adoption of anti-European political decisions.

European Social Democrats stated that "there is no more EU money for Vučić's regression of democracy." Picula highlighted that the report was drafted amidst a highly polarized political environment in Serbia, following the committee's ad hoc mission in January and reports of violence, intimidation, and irregularities during local elections in March.

"The situation in Serbia, which has been a cause for serious concern for a long time, has worsened considerably over the past year," Picula said. He pointed to the continuous erosion of political rights and civil liberties, the systematic weakening of institutions, regression in key accession process areas, and the adoption of anti-European political decisions.

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In Serbia, unfortunately, we do not see any of that, while its neighbor Montenegro is a leader in the process and on the right track to become the 28th EU member by 2028, showing that progress is possible and that membership in the Union is achievable.

Consequently, the European Parliament supports the proposed suspension of funds and calls on the Commission to halt further disbursements. The report also suggests redirecting existing and future EU funds to support judicial reform, anti-corruption measures, independent media, and the civil society sector. Furthermore, Serbia must align with EU sanctions against Russia and demonstrate measurable progress in the cluster concerning fundamental values and reforms to advance its European path.

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We share the same goal: a free, proud, and democratic Serbia in the European Union.