Jeremic Urges EU Institutions to Oblige Vucic to Negotiate with Opposition

Vuk Jeremic (Beta/Milos Miskov)

People’s Party Leader Vuk Jeremic has called on EU institutions to promptly and with full support of the member states use all their moral and political influence to commit Aleksandar Vucic’s regime to comprehensive negotiations with the Serbian opposition, under EU auspices, which would be aimed at swift reinstitution of media freedom and the rule of law in Serbia.

“Its strategic aim should be the establishment of detailed and measurable conditions for the holding of genuinely free and fair elections, to be conducted in accordance with the highest European standards. There’s no more time to waste, if Europe’s credibility is to be saved,” Jeremic wrote in his article “Dictatorship next door: Why Serbia’s regime threatens Europe’s credibility,” published on July 16 on Brussels’ portal euractiv.com.

“The sooner we begin, the sooner Serbia can begin to overcome its deepening political crisis, painstakingly rebuild its democracy, and revitalize its European path,” Jeremic added.

He pointed out that everyone should be aware by now of the “painfully obvious […] Vucic’s galloping despotism and ignominious record of violence, subterfuge, duplicity, and perjury [that] is anathema to democratic values that stand at the foundation of the European Union.”

“His regime cannot and will not either achieve regional reconciliation or bring Serbia closer to the EU,” Jeremic said, adding that a strong, practical and public response from European leaders, founded on the efforts of certain European MPs from earlier this year, could help Serbia begin coming out of the crisis.