Serbian human rights and minority rights and social dialogue organization Gordana Čomić told EURACTIV that the EU should fulfill its promise to expand the EU while allowing Serbia and Montenegro, the two front-runners, to “do their homework” in the waiting room.
“What can the EU do now? You can be brave to do what you don’t need to do,” the head of the latest department in Belgrade said in an online gap event.
She called on Brussels to make progress on long-delayed issues such as visa liberalization and negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. “It doesn’t cost anything, but you send a message:’We remember that the peace project is the basic idea of Europe. Alliance. Established’.
“Then let Montenegro and Serbia do the homework. This is what we are doing. As far as Serbia is concerned, we only ask for the benefits of doubt,” Čomić added, adding that he is no longer part of any party after being excluded by the opposition Democratic Party in 2020 member.
The European Commission has proposed a promising homework for the European Union. Report Regarding the progress of Belgrade’s reforms, “Incendiary language against political opponents is still used in parliamentary debates…”.
“All politicians should oppose hate speech and contribute to political dialogue with EU-related reforms, especially the basic principles of democracy and the rule of law,” the European executive added.
Čomić said: “When you are a developing democracy, an institution-building country like Serbia, then lack of trust is a lack of social glue. So sometimes you are more like a group than just structured Society”.
In Serbia with a large population, racially motivated hate speech is still a common problem in public discourse.Just last week, one of the opposition leaders, Marinika Tepic, was insult Due to her Romanian descent, the film director and politician Dragoslav Bokan aired on television.
When asked if there is interest in the kind of dialogue promoted by her department, Jomic said: “If there is no interest, then you create interest.”
“The hate speech you mentioned is a Serbian criminal law issue. That is Article 387 and should be imprisoned. There is no other choice,” she said.
“So it’s not about’Will someone like their hate speech?” But it’s about’Will there be a prosecutor to take action [for which] He or she gets paid from the budget’? “
“Serbia has good laws, but they are rarely enforced,” the minister said.
“There are always people who say’no political will’. If you are a prosecutor, there is no political will for you to choose. Political will is needed before we pass the criminal law, such as Article 387. After that, you cannot choose.”
“The rule of law is not a buffet, you can choose’I like this meal, but I don’t like another meal'”, she added.
Čomić’s youth ministry was accused by him critic President Aleksandar Vučić’s ruling party SNS tried to reassure those concerned about the regression of Serbian democracy.
Since its establishment after the 2020 parliamentary elections, the department has been boycotted by many political parties for alleged lack of freedom and fairness. The department has gained fame for its promotion of the same-sex union law. be opposed to Via Vucic.
With an initial promise to prepare it by this spring, Chomic said the law is now ready and the ruling coalition needs to pass it before it is submitted to the legislature.
Čomić told EURACTIV: “It has nothing to do with whether it will be adopted. It is only about when it will be adopted.”
“We owe those in society,” she added.
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]
