ALDE Party Vice-President Lucia Plaváková MP (Progresívne Slovensko, SK) visited our Serbian member party PSG (Movement of Free Citizens) as part of a visit to Serbia.
She laid flowers and paid tribute to the victims at the Novi Sad railway station and also met with civil rights defenders, representatives of the Slovak minority in the country, and participated in the Friedrich Naumann Foundation's BAZA – Balkanska Ženska Akademija programme to empower liberal female politicians from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia.
During her time in Belgrade, she held a meeting with PSG's Vice-President Aris Movsesijan, Member of Parliament Vladimir Pajić, International Secretary Natan Albahari, and City Assembly Member in Belgrade Jelena Banjac.
During the meeting, PSG members informed Vice-President Plaváková about police brutality and arrests currently taking place across Serbia as a consequence of citizen blockades and protests, as well as the second arrest of Radivoje Jovović, President of PSG's Novi Sad branch.
PSG emphasized that the main demand of the civil and student uprisings is the complete independence of the judicial process in the investigation of the tragedy in Novi Sad, along with the public disclosure of all relevant documents and findings, as well as transparent political accountability of individuals and public institutions involved in negligence and corrupt practices.
“The current situation in Serbia, the violence witnessed against protestors, and also the increasing pressure on opposition members and members of parties is deeply concerning. It was good to meet PSG colleagues today in Belgrade and also in Novi Sad, where the terrible tragedy occurred last November, and stand in solidarity with them. The political prisoners and students must be released and the EU and its member states should be more critical and proactive in calling out this decline in the rule of law," said Vice-President Plaváková.
The conclusion of the discussion was that a democratic path, including early elections, is the only way to restore public trust and strengthen the rule of law.
At the ALDE Party Council meeting in Helsinki, European liberals unanimously adopted a resolution proposed by PSG calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Serbia.
The resolution emphasizes the need for a more active and critical approach by the European Commission and EU member states in addressing the failures of the rule of law in Serbia, especially regarding the use and arming of state security forces and the judiciary to threaten and silence political opponents and student demonstrators.
Click here to read the resolution.
Photo: PSG