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The pressure on democratic forces in Serbia is mounting ever further. Critical journalists, activists and political opponents are being intimidated and publicly pilloried. Now their families are also being targeted, and we cannot accept that.
David Gruhonjić’s car – the son of journalist and professor Dinko Gruhonjić – was recently vandalised. According to the European Federation of Journalists This is the direct result of years of public intimidation and hatred directed at his father and other critical voices.
Our colleagues at the Academy for Democratic Development – the Božović family – were also publicly attacked and intimidated. On national television, family members were singled out as targets, whilst threatening remarks were made in the presence of high-ranking representatives of the Serbian ruling party. Read the ADD’s statement on the prosecution of the Božović family.
For us, this is a clear red line. Democracy means that people must be free to speak, organise and criticise without fear of intimidation or violence. Unfortunately, this has not been the case in Serbia for some time now. That is precisely why we remain in solidarity with the democratic forces in Serbia who are committed to the rule of law, human rights and a free society.
Solidarity is, of course, not enough, and the Netherlands can do a great deal to protect democracy in Serbia. An important first step is to suspend EU accession negotiations until Serbia complies with democratic standards, as the Netherlands had already done in 2024. In addition, it appears that elections are on the horizon in the country. It is crucial that these are conducted freely and fairly – in contrast to recent elections there. Here too, the Netherlands can play a role at international and European level. This is crucial not only for our colleagues in Serbia, who work every day to build a free and safe society, but also for a strong and secure European continent of the future. Read more here about the Social Democrats’ European stance on the political situation in Serbia or this interview we conducted with colleagues from the Serbian diaspora.
