Ponos called for targeted sanctions against SNS leaders during Brussels meetings: So their kids can’t study in Berlin while ours get beaten in the streets

The European Parliament is set to convene on Tuesday, with the situation in Serbia as one of the agenda items.

Representatives from Serbia’s parliamentary opposition will attend the plenary session in Strasbourg, along with a panel discussion organized earlier in the day.

Zdravko Ponos, leader of Serbia Center, commented to N1 on remarks by European Commissioner Marta Kos, who said “we have a problem” in Serbia. He noted that the opposition and civil society have been warning about this for years.

He stressed that Vucic’s calling MEPs “scum” last Friday does not tarnish Serbia’s image, because Vucic is not Serbia. Ponos added that during last week’s meetings in Brussels, he observed a much greater willingness among EU representatives to hear what the opposition has to say about the situation in Serbia.

“This shift happened because of the pressure Vucic is putting on Serbian citizens. The level of violence and beatings being used is something that can no longer be ignored. It is not enough anymore for the EU to just call for ‘reform steps’ in Serbia. What we are facing here isn’t solved by reforms. Are we a normal European country, or something else? No country in Europe has this level of state violence against its own citizens. And what we are asking from Europe is that it finally stops treating Vucic the way it does," Ponos said.

Vucic doesn't deserve to be treated any differently than Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, but at least Lukashenko doesn’t pretend he wants to bring his country into the EU, he pointed out.

“Vucic can no longer deliver anything to Europe - no lithium, no regional stability, no prosperity of any kind. On the other hand, it is clear there’s an alternative in Serbia. I'm not talking about any personal alternative, but a political process that is heading in the right direction,” he added.

If Europe keeps standing by and just watching, Ponos warned, it could create problems that will hurt Europe as well.

Asked how Europe could get involved, Ponos said it could play a role in any future process - from mediator and go-between to guarantor of any potential agreement.

“If we get to the point of holding elections, conditions must be agreed upon (so they aren't merely a sham election), and the results must be respected. And of course, in parallel with that, Europe is in a position to apply pressure. Vucic doesn’t care about not opening clusters, because for him, Europe is just an ATM. What he will react to is what I already called for last week in Brussels - personalized sanctions against regime representatives. To start, it would be good to target police chiefs, whose units have been the main perpetrators of the worst violence against citizens on the streets. Ban them from entering EU countries, then their family members, and the next day, the political leadership. Until the time comes when their kids can no longer study in Berlin, while ours are getting beaten on the streets of Belgrade. Europe can do that, if it wants to,” he said.

Ponos clarified that such sanctions would not be aimed against the Serbian people, but against those who are pulling Serbia away from Europe.