LOCAL PRESS

 

COREPER adopts position for opening of Chapters 23, 24 (RTS/Tanjug)

On behalf of the European Council, the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union (COREPER) on Thursday adopted a common EU position for the opening of Chapters 23 and 24 in Serbia’s EU accession talks. The COREPER confirmed without a debate a compromise reached on Tuesday, when the 28 EU member states agreed on the common negotiating position for Chapter 23, giving the red light for the opening of Chapters 23 and 24 on the judiciary and fundamental rights and justice, freedom and security, respectively. Sources in Brussels said they represented the two most significant chapters in any country’s accession talks as they dealt with harmonization of regulations in the field of rule of law. Serbia has done its job by meeting the conditions for the opening of these two chapters and, for its part, the EU confirmed its commitment, Slovak Ambassador to the EU Peter Javorcik said following COREPER’s decision. The Slovak EU presidency is now expected to call an inter-governmental conference at which Serbia would open the new chapters in its accession talks. The conference is expected to take place in the second half of July, the sources in the Slovak presidency said.

 

Dacic hopes other chapters will open by end of 2016 (Beta)

At a meeting with Slovak Ambassador Dagmar Repcekova on Wednesday, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic expressed the hope that the EU’s focus on the fallout from Brexit would bring no major changes to the EU enlargement policy. The announcement that chapters 23 and 24 in the accession talks are to be opened this month is a major encouragement for Serbia and recognition for all efforts it has invested in the European integration process, Dacic noted, congratulating Slovakia on taking over the EU presidency. Pursuant to the priorities of the Slovak presidency, which include continuing the enlargement policy, Dacic expressed the expectation that conditions would be created by the end of the year for opening other negotiation chapters, primarily Chapters 5, 20, 25 and 26, and that Slovakia would cooperate with Serbia on this ambitious plan. They also discussed the present situation regarding migrations, as well as possibilities for concrete projects as part of strengthening the very good bilateral cooperation, the statement said.

 

Joksimovic: 18 July most likely date for inter-governmental conference (Tanjug)

An inter-governmental conference for opening Chapters 23 and 24 in Serbia's EU accession talks will most likely be held on 18 July, Serbian Minister for European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic said. A negotiating position adopted earlier in the day by the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union will be sent to the Serbian government, and Serbia is sufficiently familiar with what is in it, Joksimovic told reporters in Kovacica. The town, which has an ethnic Slovak majority, hosted a meeting on the start of Slovakia’s EU presidency.
“Those are the most significant political chapters and a signal that the reform process, from the rule of law to the fight against corruption is proceeding in a positive way,” Joksimovic said.
Much work will be ahead for Serbia once the chapters are opened, Joksimovic said, adding that it would definitely be a good signal that Serbia was doing its job and that it was a stable country, as well as a good message to investors.

 

Vulin: Serbia not to be parking lot for migrants (Beta)

Serbian Labor Minister Aleksandar Vulin stated that Serbia was not and would not be a parking lot for migrants or a space which anyone can enter or leave without control, but a country which enforces its own and international migrant-related laws to the letter and unconditionally. Vulin told reporters in Belgrade that the number of migrants was not increasing, but that one could not speak about the migrant crisis being over for as long as there is a single migrant in Serbia or in any other country. Vulin recollected that all migrants had the right to seek asylum in Serbia and that, if they did so, they would be accommodated in collective shelters provided by the state. “Their asylum requests will be considered there, and those who are denied asylum will be returned either to the country which they entered Serbia from, or to their country of origin,” the minister stated.

 

Selakovic: Chapter will not amend jurisdiction legislation (Novosti)

The adopted action plan for Chapter 23 in Serbia’s EU accession talks does not imply any amendments to parts of the Serbian legislation relating to universal jurisdiction over criminal prosecution and trials of war crimes, Serbian Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic said Wednesday.
“The action plan for Chapter 23 was accepted by all EU member states several weeks, several months ago and we have absolutely no problem in that regard,” Selakovic told reporters when asked about a demand related to the matter that Croatia had made a condition for lifting its veto on Serbia’s EU talks. The Serbian criminal legislation possesses universal jurisdiction over prosecution and trials of war crimes and it is not the only such legislation in Europe, Selakovic said. “Some countries in our neighborhood, including Croatia, even have a more general provision,” he explained.

 

Joksimovic, Hansen: Reforms for new investments (Tanjug)

Serbian Minister for European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic and Danish Charge d’Affaires in Belgrade Morten Skovgaard Hansen agreed Wednesday that Serbia’s progress in the reform process was boosting its investment rating and business climate. Joksimovic and Hansen discussed the dynamics of the process of Serbia's EU accession talks, the Serbian government press office said in a statement. Joksimovic thanked Denmark for its support for Serbia’s European integration and for being one of the first countries to consent to common EU negotiating positions on Chapters 23 and 24 in the accession talks. European integration is, above all, a part of Serbia’s internal development policy aimed at comprehensive economic and social progress, Joksimovic said. Hansen congratulated the Serbian government on the fiscal and economic policies carried out and the positive results achieved. The upcoming opening of Chapter 23 in the accession talks will be an additional signal to potential investors that Serbia has made progress in enhancing the investment climate, Joksimovic noted.

 

Vucic’s “triumph” in Paris – opening of chapters and tacit recognition of Kosovo (New Serbian Political Thought, by Dejan Mirovic)

It was agreed at the Western Balkans Summit to open Chapters 23 and 24 on 19 July. The chapters deal with justice, judiciary, fight against corruption, rights of EU citizens in Serbia, the

European Convention on Human Rights, rights of the LBGT population, security and migrations. Serbia has introduced the European Convention into its judicial system a long time ago, LBGT parades have been already held. Serbia went a step further than some EU member states, such as Hungary, in the field of migrations. Prime Minister Designate Vucic was nevertheless exalted. He spoke about topics that did not have direct links to Chapters 23 and 24. He reiterated that there will be no referendum on the EU path as was the case in Britain. He spoke about the Nis-Pristina highway, Belgrade-Pristina airline, opening of air-traffic between Belgrade and Pristina, about a new gathering of businessmen from Kosovo, the birthday of the Albanian President.

Justice Minister Selakovic was somewhat more precise. He admitted, after usual phrases on the EU path, that the amendment to the Serbian Constitution also awaits us.

However, it remained unclear for the Serbian public how the main “brakes men” of Serbia’s EU path from Croatia had agreed to change their negative stand towards opening of chapters within only several days. The Prime Minister didn’t meet with the Croatian colleague in Paris. His main meeting was with the “celebrator” Rama. In statements he didn’t thank Croatian colleagues, but the German Chancellor, somewhat in a distasteful and undiplomatic manner. Therefore, it seems that the opening of chapters was, after all, being resolved in the Belgrade-Berlin-Kosovo triangle.  This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that the so-called Kosovo Minister for the dialogue with Belgrade Edita Tahiri said on the same day that the Basic Court, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and more than 23 ministries and agencies that haven’t “operated” in northern Kosovo would soon start operating. Nobody from Belgrade has denied this statement.

Also, the only international agreement that was signed in Paris during the visit of the Serbian delegation was the Agreement on the Regional Youth Office in Western Balkans. The founders of the Office are Albania, B&H, fYROM, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo. The Office headquarters will be in Tirana, and according to RTS, Serbia will provide most of the money. The agreement’s signatories - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, his Albanian colleague Edi Rama, Macedonian Prime Minister Emil Dimitriev, the Chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers Denis Zvizdic, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and finally Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa - undoubtedly give the agreement an inter-governmental character.

The signing ceremony was attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini. It wasn’t stated how much funds will be set aside from the Serbian budget for this agreement that in fact strengthens Kosovo’s sovereignty. It was only stated that the Serbian Prime Minister was one of the initiators of this agreement. If one ignores the strange desire of the Prime Minister to constantly put himself in the spotlight, even when it is politically detrimental for him, it seems that this international agreement has been, nevertheless, reached in the context of the efforts for Serbia to tacitly recognize Kosovo. Tacit recognition or “normalization of relations” is in line with the known requirements from Berlin. At the beginning of the term of office of the new authorities in Serbia in 2012, the deputy leader of the parliamentary group of the ruling CDU party Andreas Schockenhoff, conveyed, on behalf of Chancellor Merkel, to the Serbian delegation in Berlin, headed by the present Prime Minister, that Belgrade needs to reach “legally binding normalization of relations with Kosovo” before the accession negotiations begin. Thus, the opening of Chapters 23 and 24 in Serbia’s negotiations with the EU has been enabled with the signing of one more agreement that enables “normalization of relations with Kosovo”. We add to this the announcement of the opening of the Basic Court, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and more than 23 ministries and agencies by Edita Tahiri and it will become clear that Serbia’s EU path leads through northern Kosovo rather than via Zagreb.

Of course, the Serbian authorities can defend themselves with arguments that they haven’t formally and explicitly recognized Kosovo. However, in international law it is considered that each signature of a prime minister obliges the state. One can argue whether he had the right to do so as the prime minister designate from the aspect of domestic law, but it is irrelevant for international law. There is also the theory of tacit recognition of states in international law. According to the extensive interpretation of this theory, any “establishment of relations with inherent states” represents tacit recognition. It seems that the establishment of a joint office with Kosovo, the signature of the prime minister on the same document with the Kosovo prime minister points to such a conclusion. Finally, Edita Tahiri’s statement on the arrival of so-called institutions from Pristina to northern Kosovo, points to the fact that there was also something in the Brussels negotiations that has been prohibited by international law ever since the October Revolution and Wilson’s Fourteen points. These are secret agreements (written and oral) or annexes to agreements. Erecting the monument to Prince Lazar in Kosovska Mitrovica cannot change these facts.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Covic: B&H cannot be a Bosniak state (Glas Srpske)

Glas Srpske carried an interview with Croat member of the B&H Presidency Dragan Covic. At the beginning of the interview, Covic admitted that the authority in B&H is in some sort of a crisis.  “We have several issues which are intertwining and are mutually conditioned, even though they basically have nothing to do with each other. I am talking about population census, adaptation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, Membership Action Plan with NATO… There were a lot of issues that were supposed to bring us closer, but instead we have what (Serb member of the Presidency of B&H) Mladen Ivanic stated on several occasions - that someone has deceived him and that things are being done behind his back,” Covic said, adding that “it will take a lot of effort to overcome those things”. Croat member of the Presidency of B&H clearly said that he did not work behind Ivanic’s back, adding that Ivanic probably referred to several statements given by Bosniak member and Chairman of the Presidency of B&H Bakir Izetbegovic and the 2013 population census in B&H.

Commenting on census, Covic said that it has turned into a classic political issue, which should not have been the case. “I am convinced that published figures cause biggest damage to Croat people. I think that census cannot have any kind of political influence (…) Bosniak people will not be able to use those statistical data the way someone would want them to do - that B&H is recognized as the state of Bosniak people”, Covic explained. He added that it will not be possible to carry out some reorganization of B&H on the basis of census results. Domazet asked Covic to say why an agreement to publish the results of the 2013 population census after the October 2 local elections in the country was not honored, to which Covic replied by saying that it would change nothing. “I do not think that something is going to change in the next month or two either. We will all focus on local elections and only after the elections we will once again start dealing with those problems”, Covic said, adding that he will do whatever he can to have the trust restored as soon as possible.

Commenting on “Brexit” and its consequences on European path of B&H, Covic said that “it has to have an effect (…) but I think that it will be positive, that the climate will be created for inclusion of all countries of southeastern Europe, especially B&H, Serbia and Montenegro”. “It is all up to us. We have to resolve problems on our own and make decisions as quickly as possible. We are so slow in the process of making decisions that it is almost unbelievable”, Covic said. He added that he will support the initiative to have general and local elections organized simultaneously in 2018, “in order to create a four year-long period for key reform activities”. “I am afraid that if we continue making decisions the way we do now, B&H will move towards the EU very slowly, no matter how much Brussels is opening the door to us”, Covic concluded. At the end of the interview, Covic said that he believes decision necessary for B&H to be given the European Commission’s questionnaire will be made on July 18. If that happens, according to Covic, B&H might start preparing answers in autumn. Covic also said that B&H might be given the status of the EU Candidate Country at the end of 2017. “It is still a realistic option, we only need to work in more responsible manner,” Covic concluded.

 

Bosic’s request for suspension of decision on methodology for processing of census results will not be discussed (Glas Srpske)

Registrar of the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H Zvonko Mijan stated on Wednesday that he does not know if the B&H CC will even discuss request for adoption of provisional measure that would suspend implementation of controversial decision on methodology for processing of census results, which was submitted by Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of B&H, Mladen Bosic. “The question is whether it will make sense at all, because census results have been published already”, Mijan said, adding that the B&H CC received Bosic’s request only one day before the publishing of census results. Mijan noted that the plenary session of the B&H CC has been scheduled to take place on September 29 and 30, adding that it does mean Bosic’s request will make it to the agenda. “The Court will decide whether to discuss this issue or not”, Mijan concluded.

 

Law on census one step away from adoption (EuroBlic)

EuroBlic learned that the Draft Law on Census of Republika Srpska (RS) will be included in the agenda of a session of the RS Government before the summer break, latest by July 23. “This is practically a technical law which should enable the RS Institute for Statistics to adopt the method for data processing and publish results of census carried out in the territory of the RS. The law will most probably have only about ten articles”, a source stated. However, this law will have to pass the procedure in the RS Council of Peoples (CoP) in order to come in force and it is to be expected that the Bosniak Caucus in the RS CoP will invoke the protection of the vital national interest. The daily learned that the Chair of the Working Group for development of this law is RS Minister of Science and Technology Jasmin Komic. The Working Group includes Director of the RS Institute for Statistics Radmila Cickovic, RS Justice Minister Anton Kasipovic, RS Minister of Administration and Local Self-Governance Lejla Resic and Deputy Director of the RS Institute for Statistics Radosav Savanovic. Inset ‘Delegates in Working Group’ – Some of the other members of the Working Group are delegates Svetozar Jovanovic (SNSD), Nedeljko Glamocak (SDS) and public attorney Danijela Novakovic, representative of the RS Secretariat for Legislation Dragan Popovic, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance of the RS Slavoljub Stojanovic and RS Prime Minister’s Advisor Djuka Huremovic.

 

Census: Number of registered voters in Brcko District higher than number of inhabitants (BNTV)

According to the published results of the 2013 Population and Housing Census in B&H, 83,516 people live in the Brcko District. However, according to the electoral roll of the B&H Central Election Commission (CEC), the number of registered voters in the Brcko District is higher by 2,600 of the total population in the District. This proved that there had been electoral engineering for years and that laws, including the one on identity documents and residence and the Election Law, left room for manipulation. SDS representative in the Assembly of the Brcko District Boro Kojic said that he can only confirm absolute absurdity of elections. "Here we have fraud attempts when it comes to the number of inhabitants and everything that can come out of that," Kojic stressed. According to BN TV, results of the 2013 Census are completely illogical and raise a number of questions, given that there are around 25,000 minors in the Brcko District and that several thousand citizens from other municipalities registered residence in the District because of various benefits that Brcko offered since its formation. In addition to that, Census results also point to the inefficiency of Brcko authorities. SDP B&H representative in the Assembly of Brcko District Esad Atic said that no one can prevent anyone from moving around. “But, if we reduce the number of fictitious residents to an acceptable and reasonable level, we will save large funds in the budget of the Brcko District, i.e. citizens of the Brcko District who actually live here would have more money for their needs,” Atic stressed. Member of the Brcko District government Sinisa Milic wondered how one can plan social and economic development on the basis of incorrect data and data on people who have not been living in the District for years. “On the other hand, you will discriminate against people who live in the Brcko District and who perhaps did not take part in the Census. A large number of citizens of Serb ethnicity have contacted me in the last couple of days and they told me that they did not take part in the Census,” Milic stressed.

 

Seselj announces arrival to RS (Oslobodjenje)

The SRS leader Vojislav Seselj intends to visit Republika Srpska (RS) soon, even though the decision of the High Representative in B&H bans him from entering B&H’s territory. There is a possibility for Seselj to arrive to the RS on 12 July, to attend commemoration in Bratunac. Speaking for EuroBlic, Seselj stated that it is certain that SRS delegation will attend commemoration in Bratunac, but decision regarding his arrival is yet to be reached. He noted that decision of former HR Carlos Westendorp bans him from entering B&H, but “we will breach this decision soon”. “In a certain place and in certain time I will cross this border line after all and I will appear in the RS, but we will certainly not inform anyone about this. I will certainly enter the RS, and when I appear there, the huge political scandal will be made. Then it will difficult to throw me out soon,” said Seselj. He denied speculation that he will attend commemoration in Potocari.

 

Minister says Croatia’s interests incorporated in Serbia-EU negotiating process (Hina)

Croatia has succeeded in having its interests represented in the negotiating process for Serbia’s EU membership and it can be satisfied with that, Croatian Foreign Minister Miro Kovac in the caretaker government said in an interview with the commercial TV station RTL on Wednesday. He said that Croatia had managed to incorporate in the EU's negotiating position Serbia's full cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; protection of the Croat minority in Serbia; and the Serbian judiciary’s not having jurisdiction over Croatia with regard to the prosecution of war crimes. “Serbia will have to avoid disputes of jurisdiction, namely its law on war crimes will not apply to Croatia,” Kovac said, adding that it was now up to Serbia to meet the said criteria if it wanted to join the EU. Serbia will also have to ensure discrimination-free access to the judiciary and justice for war victims, cooperate in the search for missing persons and enforce its legal regulations on the protection of the Croat minority, Kovac said. “We must be satisfied. Six months ago we did not have anything. This is the result of this government and this foreign ministry,” he concluded.

 

Damar: 46.1 percent of Montenegro in favor of NATO (CDM)

Regardless of whether they personally support NATO membership, 76.4 percent of citizens think Montenegro will become a member, says the latest survey by DAMAR agency conducted between June 26 and July 1, 2016. The poll also indicates a stable trend of rising support for NATO. The survey representative for adult citizens of Montenegro showed that 46.1 percent of those questioned supports NATO membership. On the other hand, 38.9 percent of respondents answered negatively to the question “Do you personally support the membership of our country in NATO?”, while 15 percent of citizens said they did not know. To the question “How would you vote if a referendum on NATO membership is held?”, 45.9 percent of citizens said they would vote for membership, 38.4 percent would be against, and 15.7 percent would not participate in the vote. DAMAR survey, however, suggests that, even if only the responses of citizens in favor of NATO would be taken into account, 54.5 percent would vote for membership, while 45.5 percent of citizens of Montenegro would vote against it. This latest public opinion survey also confirms that since obtaining the invitation for membership in December, the support has been only rising. All research conducted in this period shows that support for membership has stabilized at a level above 46 percent, with a well-defined and stable margin compared to those who do not support the Euro-Atlantic integration of Montenegro.

 

Haindl arrives in Skopje: Will the German succeed to push dialogue forward (Telegraf.mk)

The German MP Johannes Haindl arrived to Macedonia for the fourth time in an attempt to push party dialogue forward. He held separate talks with party leaders, however a joint meeting has not been announced, Telegraf.mk reports. VMRO-DPMNE considers that all conditions for organizing an elections have been met, adding that the opposition SDSM is aware of its low rating and thus delays the elections. On the other hand, the opposition is decisive that the Electoral Roll must be reevaluated and 'purified' and all the reforms in the media must be implemented before holding an election. Progress has been made so far. A thorough checkup of the 40,000 citizens that were not found during the field check has been made. However, a decision on the 130,000 citizens that are purportedly abroad, has not been reached yet. The Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department of State Victoria Nuland is expected to arrive next week. Johannes Haindl held talks Wednesday with DUI leader Ali Ahmeti on the political situation in the country and possible solutions for putting an end to political crisis. Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) wishes for remaining issues to be closed as soon as possible, thus enabling for reform process to resume and for elections to be organized, the party said in a press release. Haindl­-Ahmeti talks mainly referred to clearing of the voters list and media regulation as prerequisites for setting a date for early elections, the press release reads. The VMRO­DPMNE delegation also met on Wednesday with German Special Envoy Johannes Haindl over political developments in Macedonia. VMRO­DPMNE officials said the party remains committed to achieving positive solutions based on rational European experiences. “Interlocutors agreed over the need for constructive approach and openness of all political stakeholders. Elections are an acceptable and only solution for overcoming the political crisis, but without giving dates that would later be postponed,” the party said in a press release. Regarding Electoral roll, VMRO­-DPMNE says that SDSM would have to acknowledge that it has been filtered and work on raising the trust in the list in the coming period. On media, VMRO-DPMNE stresses that a journalist or medium should not be penalized for promoting a stance, adding the importance of lowering fines towards strengthening of media independence. VMRO-DPMNE officials also said progress in the integration process is top priority, implemented through an intensive reform agenda, press release reads.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Brexit Dampens Zeal for Serbia's EU Bid (Voice of America, by Luis Ramirez, 7 July 2016)

BELGRADE—It has been 16 years since Serbia, as part of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, began negotiations to enter the European Union. Some Serbians think the debate has gone too long and the EU’s loss of Britain means it may no longer be worth the effort to join. Serbia’s government says it is not abandoning reforms to improve rule of law, end corruption, and enact regulations to conform with EU trade rules. Serbia’s recent troubled history plays a big part in how people see the argument. Army headquarters and other buildings in central Belgrade that were hit by NATO bombs in 1999 have yet to be demolished or repaired, and serve as a daily reminder for Serbians of war, stagnation, and isolation that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia. Prospects of joining the EU represent hope for some. “It will be a better life, simply because it will be peaceful. That is what is needed in the Balkans. War did what war did. We need to find our way again,” said a T-shirt vendor. He said T-shirts with the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin are big sellers these days. The dream is for Serbia to regain what it lost - a time when Yugoslavia produced things like cutting edge jet fighters. At Belgrade’s aeronautical museum, broken pieces of American and NATO aircraft downed in the war speak of Serbia’s recent troubled relations with the West. Accession to the EU represents a chance to mend matters and move onto a better, more prosperous future. But some see the European Union’s efforts to equalize and homogenize economies and standards on the continent as a threat to individuality, tradition, and culture. “The question is, if Europe is what we are dreaming of, is it a place where all different countries and nations can join like a family or is it a new model of imposing policies that don’t take care about small people?” asked Zoran Petrov, a dairy farmer near Vrsac, 87 kilometers northeast of Belgrade. Petrov’s farm produces organic, traditional Serbian yogurt, whole milk and cream from free range, grass-fed cows that are of a species native to this part of Serbia. He has been following the news from Britain. “I deeply believe that Brexit is a strong message from one of the oldest democratic countries in Europe,” he said. “If they say we can’t be in Europe it has to make us think, why is that? Why is that? It means that diversity in Europe is becoming threatened.” Polls since Brexit indicate more Serbians are now against joining the European Union.“People here are seeing maybe more than in other parts of Europe, they are growing more Eurosceptic,” said Marko Prelevic, editor of Nedeljnik magazine in Belgrade. “They are growing more worried that the European Union is about to fall because whether that parallel is right or not they are saying ‘we’ve seen this and this is how it starts,’” he said. Those sentiments are not echoed in Serbia’s parliament, which is dominated by pro-EU parties and the Serbian government has kept up its campaign to promote EU accession with promises of greater equality, respect for the rule of law, and higher salaries. As Serbia’s leaders vow to continue with reforms, EU officials also say they are determined to keep up efforts to enlarge the grouping despite Brexit and other troubles. Johannes Hahn, the EU enlargement commissioner, said this week that Brexit “doesn’t mean that enlargement, particularly to the western Balkans, has come to an end.” But analysts say Brexit has made it harder for Serbian politicians to argue in favor of EU membership.With the exception of sovereignty, the issues driving the debate in Serbia differ from those in Britain. Serbians largely do not view immigration as a major issue. Trade is also a lesser concern. “In the area of trade, Serbia and the rest of the region are already highly integrated in the European trading area,” said Jelica Minic of the European Movement in Serbia, a lobbying group. Minic and others say disillusionment with Europe after Brexit is helping push Serbia closer to Russia and giving pro-Russian groups an advantage. It is a sense that incentives are running out and concerns about overregulation that are driving opposition. Analysts say if the polls are right, Serbia could see a swing to the right much like other nations in Europe are experiencing. That is also a prediction of pro-Russian groups in Belgrade who believe Moscow has historically been a better friend to Serbia than the West.

Jugoslav Kiprijanovic, a spokesman for the pro-Russian Dveri movement, said his party – a tiny minority in parliament – is raising its calls for a referendum on EU membership. “When Britain could do a referendum, what is the problem in asking Serbian people after 16 years of waiting, of moving toward the European Union and we still don’t see when we’ll get there?” he asked.

 

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Media summaries are produced for the internal use of the United Nations Office in Belgrade, UNMIK and UNHQ.  The contents do not represent anything other than a selection of articles likely to be of interest to a United Nations readership.