European Greens: “Vucic’s Regime Has Entered Full-Blown Autocratic Mode”

Protest, Police Belgrade (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

The European Green Party (EGP) has called on the European Union (EU) and in particular the European People’s Party (EPP) to urgently pressure Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, of Serbian Progressive Party – EPP member party, to end police violence against peaceful protesters, opposition, and media, and to urgently allow free and fair elections.

“Vucic’s regime has entered full-blown autocratic mode: brutal police violence, hundreds of arrests of peaceful protesters and opposition members, and a blatant attempt to avoid elections,” Ciaran Cuffe, co-chair of the European Green Party said, according to a statement published on the party website. He added that “the EU has real leverage over Serbia, politically and economically, and must act now.”

EPP co-chair Vula Tsetsi said that “President Vucic is clinging to power through repression against protesters, opposition, and journalists. Every day, the number of political prisoners grows, as people are locked up simply for speaking out against corruption and oppression.”

She added that “the EPP must finally take a stand. The EU must press the Serbian regime to back down, respond to citizens’ demands, and organize free and fair elections.”

In its statement, the European Greens, a member of the Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) parliamentary group in the European Parliament, reiterated its solidarity with Serbia’s Green-Left Front, which is offering free legal aid to victims of police violence and wrongful detention.