The left would slow Serbia’s accession negotiations

The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) voted on the Commission’s 2019-2020 reports on Serbia. Expectations were high because the EP adopted a report on Serbia in 2018 last time. Fidesz MEP Andor Deli expressed his regrets that the report contains such left and liberal amendments that merely aim to put pressure on the Serbian EPP government.

“It is well known among the EU institutions that the EP is increasingly in favour of enlargement and the application of the new enlargement methodology, which aims to speed up enlargement negotiations. My amendments to this effect have all been accepted by the rapporteur, EPP Group MEP Vladimir Bilcik, and my remarks on the practical implementation of minority rights have also been included in the text. That is why I voted in favour of the report”, underlined the MEP from Vojvodina.

He also highlighted that it was very unfortunate that the left and the liberals proposed points that has nothing to do with accelerating the enlargement process or the conditions of EU membership. “It is obvious that with all this, they are trying to put pressure on the Serbian government. Criticisms of the Washington agreement, the seat of a possible future Israeli embassy in Serbia, or comments on the change of identity of certain sexual minority groups, such as transgender people, were included in the report”,  pointed out MEP Andor Deli.

Deli Andor emphasized that Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi had done his utmost to speed up enlargement however some Member States were still hesitant and the coronavirus had significantly diverted attention. Because of this, there could have been no breakthroughs during the past year. “It is extremely annoying and unfortunate that, as a result of the amendments of left, green and liberal members, voices have now appeared in the European Parliament that are only holding back the process”, – underlined the EPP Group MEP Andor Deli.

The plenary vote on the Serbia report will take place at the end of March. MEP Andor Deli considered it possible that similar amendments may still come from the left.