The annual Serbia report is unacceptably biased

The 2019 and 2020 reports on Serbia were on the agenda of the European Parliament’s plenary session today. Fidesz MEP Andor Deli from Vojvodina, Serbia, stressed in the debate that this year’s EP report unfoundedly criticizes Serbia from a political and ideological point of view, which does not serve the country’s prompt accession to the EU. In her speech, Kinga Gál, President of Fidesz Delegation pointed out that the imbalance in the Serbia report reflects the double standard applied by the left-liberal majority of the European Parliament, the same double standards that have been repeatedly used against right-wing conservative governments as well.

“If we are aware of Serbia’s significance in the region, we must also know that delaying its accession is against the EU’s own interests, too. The Fidesz delegation to the EP has always worked to ensure that Serbia can become a full member of the EU as soon as possible,” MEP Deli stated in his speech.

“Due to the amendments submitted by the Left, the text of the report unfortunately lacks adequate objectivity. It questions, for instance, the legitimacy of last year’s elections and the composition of the Serbian parliament. The citizens of Serbia have already expressed their opinion on these issues at the elections. Furthermore, it is also critical of Serbian healthcare and the management of the epidemic, while in terms of vaccination rate, Serbia has far outpaced the very Member States behind these criticisms. They should first put their own house in order,” the Vojvodinian MEP emphasized.

MEP Deli added that some EU Member States, including Hungary, may have already experienced the use of EP reports as a tool for political accountability, but using this method against an EU candidate country is a very bad message with respect to enlargement. “As we strongly support Serbia’s EU integration, the report on Serbia is unacceptable to Fidesz representatives,” the Vojvodinian politician concluded.

MEP Kinga Gál highlighted in the debate: “Of the reports discussed, the one on Serbia is strikingly critical, a one-sided against Serbia, which has a right-wing conservative government; this does not help the enlargement process and hinders negotiations. And yet, Serbia is a stabilising factor in the region. It is clearly striving for a peaceful settlement, significant progress has been made in terms of relations with its neighbours, and it bravely defends the European Union’s external borders; furthermore, the rights of national minorities have improved significantly, and Serbia’s economy is performing well despite the pandemic. As far as North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo are concerned, which have left-wing governments, the reports are much more permissive. I see this, again, as a double standard so often used by the European Parliament.”

According to Kinga Gál, such a politically motivated approach does not serve the stability of the Western Balkans or the acceptance of the European Union, especially since the EU has an interest in a prosperous region that is able to defend its own borders effectively. “Instead of promises, the EU must finally act, as the future of the Western Balkans, the security of our continent and the credibility of the EU are at stake,” underlined the Fidesz politician.