MEPs: Dialogue Tied to Serbia's Strategic Choice

Bilcik, Fajon (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC/MO)

European Parliament mediators in the inter-party dialogue on election conditions in Serbia said in an op-ed on July 9 that the dialogue between the authorities and the opposition was directly linked to Serbia's strategic choice.

Vladimir Bilcik, Tanja Fajon, Knut Fleckenstein and Eduard Kukan, who signed the op-ed, recalled the European Commission's reports on Serbia for 2019 and 2020 and a European Parliament resolution which state that it is essential for the ruling majority and the opposition, each in their own role, to talk with each other about finding an agreement on the most important political issues.

"The dialogue provides a platform to political parties, movements and actors to engage on equal terms, regardless of how small or big they are. (...) We want to secure a political space that can help in achieving a consensus on certain unresolved issues ahead of the next elections in Serbia," says the op-ed in the July 9 issue of daily Blic.

The authors point out that they are not bringing ready-made solutions to Belgrade, rather they are helping to create room for dialogue.

"We remind the participants, whenever necessary, that they should all adhere to the norms of mutual respect in such dialogue, to be pragmatic and realistic and, above all, to respect the legal and constitutional framework," reads the article.

They added that they expected full commitment and good will of the dialogue participants and underscored that the politicians in Serbia were the ones with "political ownership and responsibility" for the outcome of the dialogue.

"We come to Belgrade with a strong commitment to the success of this dialogue. Maybe some are wondering why there is a need for dialogue. The answer is simple - only through dialogue can we reach a consensus, and that is the basis for meeting the expectations of Serbian citizens," the MEPs added.