Serbian Ambassador in Vienna: Statements by Austria’s Ruling Parties Could Undermine Good Relations

Ambassador Marko Blagojević (Photo:X/@SRBinAustria)

In a March 19 evening post on X, Serbian Ambassador in Vienna Marko Blagojevic criticized the opinions certain ruling politicians in Austria voiced regarding Belgrade’s March 15 protest rally, and insisted these statements were not only inappropriate but also dangerous, and could undermine the two countries’ long-standing good relations.

Blagojevic wrote that it is “with great sadness” that Serbia has been following the messages published by certain MPs from the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO) and the liberal NEOS party, which belong to the country’s new ruling coalition, formed a month ago.

Pressestatement S.E. Herrn Marko Blagojević, Botschafter der Republik Serbien, anlässlich der Aussagen der Abgeordneten der SPÖ und NEOS im Europäischen Parlament sowie im Nationalrat:

Mit großem Bedauern verfolgen wir die Äußerungen einiger Abgeordneter der SPÖ und NEOS,… pic.twitter.com/1fynHCyDLS

— Serbia in Austria (@SRBinAustria) March 19, 2025

“We know that the MPs who have been intensively issuing inappropriate accusations and ignoring our official rebuttals have a long history of attacking everything Serbian. However, until now, they have acted as MPs of opposition parties, which therefore cannot be considered state policy nor influence bilateral relations. After the formation of the coalition government, of which the SPO and NEOS are a part, we can consider everything they do a reflection of the Austrian government’s stance,” the ambassador said.

According to him, relations between Serbia and Austria have long been friendly and constructive, but Belgrade is “particularly concerned over the aggressive messages coming from the NEOS party,” which now heads Austria’s foreign ministry. “This begs the question of whether their statements represent a turnabout in our relations and whether such an approach will affect the future of our diplomatic ties,” Blagojevic explained.

On March 18, Helmut Brandstatter, a NEOS member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) who is also the spokesperson for the EP liberal political group Renew Europe, said that hundreds of thousands of people protested in Belgrade on March 15 demanding “the rule of law and free media” and standing “against Aleksandar Vucic’s authoritarian rule.”

“The regime responded with violence: reports of sound weapons being used against peaceful demonstrators are emerging. Meanwhile, the situation in Bosnia is escalating – separatist leader [Milorad] Dodik ignores his conviction and, with support from Putin and Vucic, pushes for regional division. This threatens not just the Balkans but all of Europe,” Brandstatter wrote on X.