Serbian Prime Minister Anna Brnabic said that the European Commission’s recent report on Serbia is “the best report of the European Commission in the past few years.” However, a deeper look actually shows that the report is very critical.
The committee issued its regular “Zoom package‘Report covering Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.this 135 page report on Serbia It is repeated in its various parts that the country has been “appropriately prepared” for joining the European Union.
Among other issues, the report highlights the differences between Belgrade and the EU on foreign and security policies.
but Bunabic pointed out The committee noted that progress had been made in “almost all areas” and most of Serbia’s media (often considered close to the government) repeated her words, except for a few dissident voices.
according to ‘String‘, the independent’Research, Transparency and Accountability Center’, behind the positive tone of the committee, there are sharp and worrying criticisms of the operation of Serbian democracy and the rule of law.
“Speaking of the rule of law, Serbian officials cited it as an example of significant progress. The report wrote in several places that there was hardly any concrete progress in practice,” Crta said.
“Furthermore, the 2018 and 2019 reports stated that there was’some progress’ in the judicial field, while there was no progress in 2020. This year is called’limited progress’ and it is hardly a positive assessment,” it said.
According to’Crta’, the warning assessment is repeated every year. In addition to the improvement of the legal framework that has hardly been respected in practice, little attention has been paid to specific (and no substantive) results or progress in reforms.
Serbia website Truth meter (Truth-measurer) is an online media that specializes in fact checking. It analyzes Brnabić’s statement based on actual excerpts from the report.
According to’Istinomer’, her statement was an “abuse of facts” because she focused on a positive tone while avoiding suggestions and objections.
Brnabić noted that for the first time since 2016, freedom of expression has made progress.
The committee’s report stated, “According to the action plan related to the media strategy, a limited number of measures have been adopted and started, and progress has been limited. However, verbal attacks on journalists by senior officials continue, and threats and violent cases continue to be a cause for concern. Worry”.
“Regarding freedom of speech, most media associations withdrew from the press safety group in March 2021, citing hate speech and defamation campaigns against journalists and civil society representatives, including the head of the parliamentary ruling party caucus,” it added. .
Biljana Pantic Pilja, a member of the Serbian Progressive Party ruling by President Aleksandar Vučić, recently attacked the two private cable TVs N1 and Nova S, calling them As “anti-Serbia” and Said It can be described as “foreign mercenaries, domestic traitors”.
Prime Minister Burnabic also claimed that the committee has clearly emphasized that the government will give priority to reforms on the European road, especially the rule of law.
However, the report pointed out that “the current legal framework does not provide sufficient safeguards to prevent potential political influence on the judiciary.”
“The judicial and prosecutors are still under great pressure. Government officials and members of Congress, including the highest level, continue to comment publicly on ongoing court proceedings and attack individual judges and prosecutors.”
Burnabic also emphasized that the report pointed out that progress has been made in combating corruption and organized crime, while the actual term of the committee is “a certain degree of preparation”, which usually indicates insufficient efforts.
“Serbia has not yet established a convincing record of effective investigations, prosecutions, and final convictions in serious and organized crime cases, including financial investigations that led to the freezing and confiscation of criminal assets. Convictions for organized crime compared to 2019 The number has decreased,” the report said.
Srdjan Majstorovic, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the European Policy Center and member of the European Balkans Advisory Group, told “Western Balkans, Europe‘The website stated that “there is no reason to say that this report is by far the best.”
He explained that given the state’s control over most Serbian media, leaders can easily promote the committee’s report as the best report to date, without involving substance.
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]
