German Official: Serbia Cannot Sit in Two Chairs

Manuel Sarrazin (commons.wikimedia.org/Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Bundestagsfraktion)

Manuel Sarrazin, the special envoy of the German government for the Western Balkans, has stated ahead of his arrival in Belgrade that “in the economic and political sense, Serbia’s society is closer to Germany and the European Union than to Russia” and that Serbia “cannot sit in two chairs.”

“Our financial support and investments are bigger, and we are also interested in this country’s economic and social development. It goes without saying that our funding of and engagement in the candidate countries are greater than, for instance, in the countries which are part of the Eastern Partnership,” Sarrazin told the May 9 issue of the Danas daily newspaper.

He pointed out that “it is completely clear that after Russia’s attack on Ukraine a pro-Russian position is incompatible with the candidate status.”

“You cannot sit in two chairs that are miles apart. Furthermore, I believe that Serbia knows quite well that it is in its interest to free itself from depending on an unscrupulous regime as soon as possible,” Sarrazin said and added that there are repercussions concerning the decisions of economic subjects as to “whether the country follows unequivocally a European course or not.”

“This simply is a matter of risk assessment and benefits. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, businesspeople have been inquiring whether Serbia, as an investment destination, has joined Europe’s positions and whether it will do so in the future. Therefore it is crucial that Serbia now takes a stand,” Sarrazin said.