Nemec: Debate on Serbian elections aimed at initiating independent investigation

He told the Nova.rs portal that there is a feeling in the European Parliament that the Serbian December elections were undemocratic, and that the information on vote buying and mass registration of voters causes particular concern. The European People's Party (EPP) backed the EP debate on Serbian elections.

A resolution on Serbian elections is officially on the agenda of the EP plenary session in February, which means that it is supported by a majority of political groups in the EP, said Nemec.

“This is important. I don't know how the negotiations on the content of the resolution will proceed, or what the EPP’s positions in the negotiations will be. At the debate in the European Parliament a few days ago, when we discussed the situation in Serbia after the elections, we heard several very fair statements and justified criticisms from members of that political group,” he said.

Nemec explained that the Socialists and Democrats group in the EP requested a debate so they could clearly state that, due to the many testimonies of irregularities that took place before and during the elections, it is necessary to conduct an independent investigation.

“By doing this, we sided with thousands of people in Serbia who are demanding justice, democracy and a European future by staging protests. Such debates are sometimes necessary in order to force a country to improve the situation,” he said.

Nemec added that all this requires a thorough reform of the Serbian electoral legislation.

“We do not want to criticize the people of Serbia with this debate, but to encourage them and open their eyes so that they understand that, because certain policies are tolerated, the country is sinking deeper and deeper in a direction they really don't want to take,” said Nemec.