The European Parliament has sent a “patronizing message” to Serbia, which has been waiting for the last twenty years to become a European Union member state, Andor Deli, a Fidesz MEP, told MTI on Tuesday.
Born in Vojvodina, Serbia’s northernmost province, Deli commented on a report by the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), assessing the political situation of three countries aspiring for EU membership, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Serbia.
MEPs who voted in favor of the report also expressed regret that Serbia had not joined the EU sanctions against Russia, and called on the newly elected authorities to urgently align with EU decisions against Russia. Fact
The report adopted by the AFET states, among other things, that Serbia has not made any progress, but rather regressed on issues that are crucial for accession. While welcoming the return to a more “pluralistic” parliament following the Serbian elections of April 3, 2022, the committee also called on Serbia to make progress on the rule of law, fundamental rights, freedom of expression, strengthening media pluralism, and normalizing relations with Kosovo.
Serbia deserves a much better assessment, Deli said, calling it “unacceptable” that during the war in Ukraine “Serbia is exposed to a frontal attack and lecturing.”
The politician said that the report failed to promote Serbia’s earliest possible admission to the EU when the country had the potential to be a European mainstay during a period of multiple security challenges.
Although the report was meant to deal with the fulfillment of accession criteria, it was motivated by political considerations in the background, Deli said. For instance, Serbia is criticized for its approach to the EU sanctions against Russia, while failing to mention that Serbia is a sovereign country whose government gives priority to its national interests, especially in a situation when the country is highly dependent on Russian energy deliveries, he said.
Deli attributed dwindling public support for EU membership in Serbia to “continual postponement.” Instead of promoting the accession process, the European Parliament is generating antipathy in the local population towards the EU, he said.
Deli and MEP Kinga Gál, who also signed the press statement, said that the report in part criticized Hungary, too, claiming, for instance, that Hungary and Serbia are helping Russia and China attain their geopolitical objectives, and that enlargement commissioner Olivér Várhelyi is biased towards Serbia.
“We reject these absurd statements and firmly support Serbia’s soonest possible accession,” the statement read, adding that the European Fidesz lawmakers, acting in line with the position of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, voted against the report.
The European Parliament will vote on the report at its next plenary session in July.
Featured photo by Szilárd Koszticsák/MTI