Opposition Party At Western Balkans Forum: Serbia Belongs to Europe in Values and Politically

Western Balkans (Photo: Nevena Zaric)

The international secretary of the Movement of Free Citizens, Natan Albahari, and the party’s vice-president, Aris Movsesijan, took part in the Western Balkans Forum where they presented the party’s position to representatives of the European parliament, European commissioners from the Renew Europe political group and leaders of liberal and pro-European parties from the region.

During the forum in Brussels, they had a number of meetings with commissioners and representatives of European institutions and conveyed that “Serbia is not a part of Europe only geographically, but in values and politically,” the party announced on Feb. 5.

The party representatives pointed out that, for Serbia and the Western Balkans, European integration was not an abstract political process, but an issue of quality of life of citizens, rule of law and functioning institutions. They underscored the deep crisis of democracy in Serbia, the concentration of power in the hands of one party, weakening of political pluralism, abduction of institutions and a serious decline in democratic standards.

It was particularly emphasized that stability based on control of institutions does not represent stability and that the citizens of Serbia were not seeking privilege, but basic European values: free elections, independent judiciary, free media and the rule of law. The party also pointed out the problem of organized crime, stressing that the fight against crime and corruption had to be regional, coordinated and Europe-wide, with active support from the European Union.