{"id":20709,"date":"2026-01-23T18:34:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T17:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.masina.rs\/eng\/?p=20709"},"modified":"2026-01-23T18:34:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T17:34:34","slug":"eu-funds-are-fueling-repression-in-serbia-european-parliament-meets-with-serbian-opposition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.masina.rs\/eng\/eu-funds-are-fueling-repression-in-serbia-european-parliament-meets-with-serbian-opposition\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cEU Funds Are Fueling Repression in Serbia\u201d: European Parliament meets with Serbian Opposition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Following their meeting with the Vice President of the National Assembly and the Chair of the Committee on European Integration, the European Parliament delegation also met with representatives of the opposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the meeting, the opposition called on the EU to monitor local elections in Serbia and to redirect funds from accession instruments away from government institutions that misuse them toward civil society organizations and media working in the public interest. Earlier, they demanded that the EU impose personalized, targeted sanctions against individuals within the government responsible for repression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ma\u0161ina spoke with three members of parliament about their impressions of the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grbovi\u0107: EU funds are being used to further repression in Serbia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pavle Grbovi\u0107, president of the Free Citizens\u2019 Movement (PSG) and a member of parliament, told Ma\u0161ina that members of the delegation were receptive to their proposal regarding redirecting EU funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday at the meeting, we proposed that all funds normally allocated to the state and its institutions be redirected to civil society organizations and free media that, in essence, best demonstrate and defend European values in Serbia. This is not a novelty, nor something we invented or that has never happened before. It is an approach that, for example, the Swedish government applied toward the government of the Republic of Serbia due to constant violations of democratic procedures. It is also a principle, or approach, that the European Commission is already applying in Georgia. So, this is something that exists, and this proposal was met with understanding, I would even say approval, by the majority of the delegation. It is a proposal and an idea that is already being seriously considered within EU institutions,\u201d Grbovi\u0107 said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MP and PSG party president added that MEPs are aware that funds reaching institutions are being misused. Grbovi\u0107 says the EU mission was told that the financial support the government receives is being used to strengthen its repressive apparatus, bolstering the police so they can more effectively break up demonstrations and instill fear among Serbia\u2019s population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the police that beats students, that wiretaps and surveils the opposition, journalists, civil society, and everyone else. Simply put, putting money into the hands of this regime and its institutions that will abuse it is a rather negative advertisement for the European Union itself. Regardless of the fact that the funds Serbia receives are extremely small, far smaller than what many other countries in the region receive, let alone EU member states, and that Serbia can no longer access many of those funds due to the destruction of democracy. But even that loose change, from their perspective, which ends up in the hands of this regime, is enough to impose and maintain a reign of fear in Serbia,\u201d Grbovi\u0107 concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/9bPtJAg8FXY<\/a>