Gozi: Debate with Vucic Should Focus on Democracy, Rule of Law, Media Freedom

Sandro Gozi (BETAPHOTO/European Democratic Party)

The general secretary of the European Democratic Party, Sandro Gozi, stated on April 16 that the debate he was inviting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to should focus on the state of democracy and rule of law in Serbia, media freedom and pluralism, and on the European path and the reforms needed for progress.

In a statement to BETA, Gozi denied the claims about European politicians “lecturing” Serbia, saying that European Democrats, “as a European political party and as members of the European Parliament, have the obligation to care about what happens in EU candidate countries and contribute to a serious and honest discussion about Serbia’s European path.”

“This is not about lecturing, but about common European values. Citizens of Serbia deserve the same standards of democracy, freedom and rule of law as all other European citizens. Support to these values is not interference – it is a part of the common European project. Serbia is a member of the Council of Europe and an EU member candidate. It is completely legitimate for these issues to be discussed, as we do with all EU member states, without exception,” he emphasized.

Gozi stated that he was not concerned with personal attacks against him, but was interested in whether there was readiness to talk about democracy, rule of law and fundamental liberties. “This is what truly interests us and that is why I called on him (Serbian President Vucic) to cease the monologues on state television and accept a real debate – an open one-on-one discussion, which we can organize within a few days,” Gozi declared in a written statement to BETA.