EP Member: Under Vucic, Serbia Has Seen Only Violence, Corruption

Irena Joveva (BETAPHOTO/STA/Daniel Novakovic)

Irena Joveva, a member of the European Parliament belonging to the Renew Europe group, said on April 10 that, under President Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia had seen nothing but violence and corruption, and that it was time for change.

In a post on the X social media network, she responded to an article by the Brussels-based Politico website reporting that Serbia faced the possibility of losing EUR1.5 billion in financing from European Union funds, and that the European Commission was considering cutting off the funds due to regression in democracy and close ties with Russia. "Finally. No other option. Under Vucic, Serbia has seen only violence, corruption, and state capture," Joveva said in her post. The post goes on to say that "stolen elections, crushed media have brought Serbia to the brink. "Serbians deserve a new, democratic path to prosperity. It's time for a change," Joveva wrote.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos told Politico that the EU was increasingly concerned over events in Serbia. Joveva has frequently spoken out about problems in Serbia over the last 18 months. She openly supported university student protests in Serbia and came out to meet the student protesters who cycled from Serbia to Strasbourg. She has criticized the European administration in Brussels on multiple occasions for what she described as underreaction to events in Serbia and the behavior of the authorities.

Ana Brnabic, the speaker of the Serbian parliament, said later that Joveva had no right to call for change in Serbia, just like she had no right to call for a change in leadership in Slovenia. In a post on X, Brnabic told Joveva to stop interfering in internal affairs in Serbia and to focus on her own country.