The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE) in the European Parliament (EP) said on Wednesday that “Serbia should reverse the unfavourable situation and re-establish democratic norms,” the Beta news agency reported.

The ALDE send the message to Belgrade’s authorities after the talks held with Serbia’s opposition leaders Vuk Jeremic and Dragan Djilas.

They also discussed “the process of Serbia’s integration with the European Union, with a particular focus on the issues that caused alert like political atmosphere, the rule of law and media freedom in the country.”

An ALDE member from the Slovenian Peasant Party (DeSUS) Ivo Vajgl said the Alliance invited the representatives of Serbia’s opposition and independent media to a round table discussion in Brussels and said: “Serbia must find its democratic path which will eventually lead it to the EU.”

“Serbia is an important EU partner in the region and will remain so,“ Vajgl said, noting that the ALDE had always supported the bloc’s enlargement and efforts Serbia put in reforms since the short-term in the office of the assassinated first democratic Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic (1952-2003).

“I firmly believe Europe won’t be complete and stable until all Western Balkans countries are not in,” Vajgl said.

“However,” he warned, “what is causing an alert is that the developments in the last several years lessen Serbia’s chances of becoming a stable and economically prosperous country due to an increasingly authoritarian regime and suppression of media freedom and opposition forces.”

“Fundamental democratic norms and the rule of law must be reinstated as soon as possible and honoured to the fullest,” Vajgl added.