Le verdure europee chiedono il sostegno dell’UE per la lotta dei manifestanti serbi per la giustizia

>**The European Green Party called for urgent European support for the Serbian people’s ongoing protests demanding justice, transparency, and democratic governance.**

>In a press release, the party recalled that the demonstrations were initially sparked by the collapse of the roof at the Novi Sad railway station, resulting in 15 deaths. It added that outrage about widespread corruption and state negligence has fueled public outrage.

>“What began as student-led protests has grown into a nationwide movement, with professors, lawyers, and artists joining calls for a democratic change after 12 years of (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vucic rule (first as prime minister, then as president) that has become increasingly authoritarian and non-democratic, with suppression of independent journalism,” said the Greens.

>They added that the government has threatened to lower the salaries of professors joining the strike, and that students have suffered violent attacks at the hands of masked and unmasked sympathizers of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which is an associate member of the European People’s Party (EPP).

>European Green Party co-chair Vula Tsetsi said that the people of Serbia are fighting bravely for accountability and justice in the face of government corruption and political oppression, and that the Greens condemn the SNS threats towards the students and professors as well as the violence prompted by their rhetoric.

>Tsetsi said the European Commission must speak out urgently rather than standing passively by.

>“Europe must support the protestors’ demands for the Serbian government to be open, transparent, and accessible to citizens and to work towards fulfilling students’ demands for independent institutions and a government that serves its people. The European People’s Party should ask its member party SNS to respect the rule of law,” emphasized Tsetsi.

>European Green Party co-chair Ciaran Cuffe added that “Serbia’s future home is in the European Union,” which is why the European Commission must put pressure on the Serbian government to defend democracy, and be open, transparent, and accessible to citizens.

>“The grassroots movement in Serbia shows the people’s resilience and determination to protect their rights. The EU must stand firm in defending democratic values and ensure that a partnership respects those principles,” stressed Cuffe.

>In Serbia, the Green-left Front, which has been a member of the European Green Party since December last year, has expressed its “full support for the student protests and demands and called for the fight against corruption in Serbia to succeed.”

PUMPAJ