Europarliamentarian Schieder Says Vucic’s Behavior Chaotic, Fears Abuses Will Be Discovered

Andreas Schieder (Photo: PrintScreen YouTube)

Andreas Schieder, a member of the European Parliament (EP) and one of the international observers who monitored the December 2023 elections in Serbia, told N1 TV on Feb. 12 that a vast majority in the EP had voted for considering freezing European funds for Serbia due to suspicions about the propriety of their use.

He added that Vucic was behaving chaotically, unhappy that the European Union would one day expose what he had done. "I am afraid there are a lot of things there beneath the surface that Vucic does not want discovered," Schieder told N1 TV in an interview.

On the topic of an independent investigation into elections in Serbia which the EP requested that the European Commission do, Schieder said that what he had "heard" was that "this is being taken very seriously in the European Commission which is now looking into how to make it happen." Asked about the reaction that he anticipated from the Serbian authorities and the reach of the investigation since its findings would not be binding, Schieder replied that the "EP is aware of all of the abuses by the prime minister (Ana Brnabic), the attacks on democracy and the behavior of President Vucic."

"From false accusations against international observers, to all of the other things that have happened. The EP is concerned that Vucic's regime is abusing European funds. Also, I have heard that the EC analyzed the situation similarly. We will see how the government in Serbia will respond. Of course, we are first of all calling for a toning down of their rhetoric, and secondly for them to realize that they are the government of Serbia and need to work in the interest of the Serbian people," he said.