Rapporteur: Serbian Government Often Displays Authoritarian, Anti-European Tendencies

Tonino Picula (BETAPHOTO/European Parliament/Philippe BUISSIN)

Serbia’s greatest obstacle to joining the European Union are its lagging reforms with regards to the rule of law, an independent judiciary, fair elections and media freedom in the country, European Parliament special rapporteur for Serbia Tonino Picula said on Nov. 4.

In an interview for BETA, Picula added that Serbia also needs to demonstrate progress towards aligning with the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy.

In his opinion, the Serbian authorities often display authoritarian and anti-European tendencies and the country’s membership negotiations will not conclude before its media landscape has changed significantly.