MEP Brandstatter to N1: Student protests more than legitimate

“Students and other groups protesting across the country have the right to know what caused the tragedy and to what extent government negligence and corruption are to blame. When the rule of law is under attack, evidence is manipulated and transparency is lacking, it is understandably very difficult for society to trust official investigations,” the Austrian MEP said.

Brandstätter is a member of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs and sits on several committees for the Western Balkans region.

He said that the protests in Serbia are justified. “What is not justified is the violence unleashed, directly or through encouragement, by the government,” he said commenting the violent incidents that happened during the protests.

“The violence unleashed against the protesters, young people who are the future of the country, is no accident. It is at least encouraged, if not directed, by the government. President Vucic's statements and the car that rammed into a young woman protesting on the pavement are linked. The beating of young people by thugs at 3am near the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) office also raises many questions. We see such thugs operating in Russia, Georgia, Belarus and other autocratic states. They are a tool of intimidation for the regime,” Brandstatter said.

He said that freedom of expression is a fundamental value of the EU, and any country that wants to join the EU is obliged to respect it.

According to Brandstatter, “the Serbian people have shown unimaginable resistance and civil courage”. “Their country should be proud of them for standing up for their democratic future based on the rule of law. It seems that the government underestimated the endurance of the protests and dismissed them as a temporary event. Now they see that the protests are not going away and that real change is needed in the country,” he added.

The MEP said that the resignations of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and Novi Sad Mayor Milan Djuric were necessary and overdue. “These officials are being made scapegoats in the hope of easing tensions and reducing protests. But the problem is not just individual low or middle-ranking officials, the problem is the system,” Brandstatter said.