Tonino Picula (BETAPHOTO/European Parliament/Michel CHRISTEN)
Delaying a political solution to the "undeclared state of emergency in Serbia" could place the entire country at risk of more severe conflict, which may end in new tragedy, European Parliament rapporteur Tonino Picula has said.
Commenting on the European Commission's report on the progress of European Union member candidates for N1 TV Zagreb, he said he expected this European institution "to take the gloves -- or at least one glove -- off when talking about Serbia, which has not been the case in recent years."
He stressed that "if [Serbian President] Aleksandar Vucic doesn't wish or does not have the capacity to carry out sorely needed reforms, he is able to produce crises in other parts of the Western Balkans at his convenience."
According to him, the protests in Serbia will not fade as the atmosphere in the country is increasingly polarized and the government sees the demonstrators as a threat.
"It seems to me that this is one stage of that civic revolt and any delays to a political solution to this crisis, this undeclared state of emergency in Serbia, may be placing the entire country at increased risk of more severe conflict, which may even end in tragedy," Picula said, adding that at the moment there was no political solution in sight
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