The European Union Ambassador to Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, and the representatives of the Quint countries met today with the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, upon her request, to discuss the current political situation and reforms in the field of electoral framework and media reform.
The EU Ambassador underlined the need by all parties to uphold the respect for fundamental rights, including the right for peaceful assembly. This also implies avoiding any kind of violence against political opponents and party premises as a means of political protests.
He condemned all acts of hate and violence and called on all sides to de-escalate tension. Dialogue between stakeholders across the political spectrum was emphasised as the only way forward, as well as refraining from inflammatory rhetoric and disinformation on the ongoing protests.
The EU Ambassador further emphasised that police action must be proportionate and respect fundamental rights; any suspicion of excessive use of force needs to be duly investigated, including worrying reports about threats and violence against journalists.
Ambassador von Beckerath stressed that Serbia’s EU path offers solutions to many of the main challenges Serbia is facing, including reforms in the field of rule of law, media freedom, electoral reforms and creating an enabling environment for civil society. In this context, the EU Ambassador welcomed the efforts by the President of the National Assembly to make progress on the selection of REM Council and on electoral legislation, including by implementing all of the ODIHR recommendations and also stressed the need to ensure an inclusive and transparent process where all relevant stakeholders participate.
