Opposition MP: Government-Controlled Media Presenting EU As Constantly Asking for Something from Serbia

Ana Brnabic, Aleksandar Vucic, Belgrade, June 7 2023 (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

Green-Left Front MP Jelena Jerinic said on June 22 that in the Serbian Progressive Party-controlled media the EU was being constantly being presented as asking things from Serbia, while giving nothing back.

Jerinic told BETA that, for too long, Serbia's citizens had been listening to endless hackneyed statements on "Serbia's devotion to European integrations" or "Serbia is on the European path."

"On the other side, complete information on the benefits that Serbia has as a candidate for membership in the EU and how that affects their daily lives are not reaching them. The Serbian Progressive Party is taking credit for everything that is built or improved in Serbia, while not clearly saying that many of these projects were realized with the help of the preacession funding of Serbia by the EU," she said.

She added that one could not hear information on the EU's assistance on TV stations with national coverage. Asked whether a clearer stance on the part of EU on protests against violence and the other problems pointed to by the opposition could help restore citizens' faith in the EU, Jerinic replied that such voices could increasingly be heard on the part of the EU as of lately.