Picula: Serbia in an undeclared state of emergency

In an interview with Radio Free Europe Picula said it is up to the protesting students and citizens to decide how they will continue the protests, but that they need to articulate their demands politically.

“The president has hinted that he is not in any way ready to hand over power to an expert group, or a transitional government, and that he will instead either form a new government based on the majority in the Parliament that he controls, or dissolve the Parliament and call new elections,” said Picula.

Elections not a solution without social consensus

However, the rapporteur added that elections are not a solution unless some form of social consensus is reached, but noted that there are no indications this will happen.

“The real question is that of the next phase in the confrontation of this broad front’s dissatisfaction with the incumbent government, specifially with President Vucic,” said Picula, adding that the demands have not been articulated in a way that makes them concrete political demands.

He added that the student demands regarding the documentation on the reconstruction of the Novi Sad main train station have not been met.

“The regime continues to avoid showing the complete documentation. The question that arises is – why?” said Picula.

Commenting on the attacks on the demonstrators, Picula said there is suspicion that they were directed by the government, “at the end of the day, the prime minister himself resigned because the thugs who harmed a female student came out of the Serbian Progressive Party offices.”