Europees Parlement: "Politieke instabiliteit ondermijnt toetedingsperspectieven Servië" (en)

The current political instability in Serbia is detrimental to the country's EU accession prospects, MEPs warned their Serbian counterparts at the 5th EP-Serbia Inter-Parliamentary Meeting (IPM). The two sides debated the recent steps in Serbia's road to EU integration, as well as the political climate in Belgrade, and jointly called for an end to the hunger-strike by opposition leader Tomislav Nikolic.

"The European Parliament, with the support of all political groups, ratified the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and I'd like to congratulate Serbia on this recent achievement," said EP Delegation Chair Eduard Kukan i (EPP, SK), reminding those present about the plenary vote on 19 January of this year. "The Parliament has offered continuous support for Serbia's efforts in the accession process, but we must insist on full cooperation with the ICTY for next steps to be taken," he added.

Ulrike Lunacek i (Greens/EFA, AT) asked why no Serbian parliamentarians took part in last week's Joint Parliamentary Meeting on the Western Balkans, noting that it was "a missed opportunity to talk to members of national parliaments who will eventually have to ratify Serbia's accession to the EU." Jelko Kacin i (ALDE, SL) echoed the general sentiment of MEPs present by saying "if you don't wake up, EU accession is mission impossible."

Addressing the elephant in the room: opposition leader's hunger strike condemned

Reacting to the recent opposition protests and the hunger strike announced by SNS leader Tomislav Nikolic, the IPM also adopted a special political statement about the political situation in Serbia. This statement, which is attached, urges Mr. Nikolic to "immediately stop his hunger strike" and intones that "it is essential that political discourse returns to the established democratic procedures and to the institutional framework. All political disagreements should be dealt with within the framework of democratic institutions."

Commission calls for ambition, Serbian government for maturity

Stefan Füle i , European Commissioner for Enlargement, asserted that he does not see any growing resistance to enlargement from within the Union. "There is no enlargement fatigue, what I see is enlargement apathy on the part of governments in the Western Balkans," he said. He called for more ambition on the part of Serbian politicians, asking "why are you fixated on being granted candidate status, when you should have as a goal to start accession negotiations?"

Milica Delevic, Director of the EU Integration Office in Serbia's government, reported on the results of Serbia's interactions with the Commission, emphasising that "the Commission not only expects results, but also a process which is transparent and inclusive." She added that while "it's the responsibility of the government to deliver on EU accession, it's the responsibility of the opposition not to throw up more barriers to this goal. They need to show maturity in face of a political challenge."