• 2024-08-27

Open Letter of the National Convention on the EU

NCEU, 27.8.2024

Open Letter of the National Convention on the EU addressed to the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and the President of the Government of the Republic of Serbia

To the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Mrs. Ana Brnabić

To the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Miloš Vučević

Open Letter

As you are aware, the National Convention on the European Union is the largest network of civil society organizations in Serbia, comprising several hundred member organizations, including citizens' associations, professional and academic organizations, and individuals gathered to support Serbia's European integration. Over the past decade, the National Convention has been institutionally recognized by decisions of the Government and the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia as a channel for public involvement in Serbia's negotiations with the European Union. Given the drastic deterioration of conditions for civic action over the past few months, we are reaching out to you, deeply concerned about the future of Serbia's European integration process and the institutional dialogue that was previously recognized as an example of transparent and effective public participation in the EU accession negotiations.

In recent weeks, we have witnessed an increasing number of activist arrests, as well as statements from high-ranking government officials accusing civil society organizations, including members of the National Convention, of being foreign agents, enemies of the state, and individuals whose goal is to destabilize the country and endanger the security of the President of the Republic, based on manipulations of Serbia's legal framework. This is despite the fact that these organizations have shared their knowledge and capacities with state institutions for years as part of the EU accession process. Additionally, some members of the National Convention's Working Group for Chapter 35, which monitors the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, have been subjected to unjustified and baseless detentions at border crossings by the Ministry of Interior, apparently based on so-called "verbal offense" lists mentioned by Minister Ivica Dačić. The latest such incident occurred at Belgrade Airport last night.

All these actions, combined with a campaign led by tabloid journalists who present themselves as forensic experts, prosecutors, and judges, create an atmosphere of fear and insecurity that severely hinders, if not entirely prevents, our continued work. This latest campaign is based on the fact that some civil society organizations legally receive funding from foreign sources, the same sources that also finance activities of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, its ministries, state institutions, and local governments in Serbia.

These activities and statements are unacceptable and directly contradict international law and the obligations Serbia has undertaken in the field of human rights and democratic freedoms, particularly under Chapters 23 and 24 of the EU accession negotiations. The right to freedom of expression, assembly, and association are fundamental rights that every democratic state should protect, and the current actions of state authorities call into question Serbia's commitment to these principles.

We believe that the situation in which we, as a society, find ourselves is a consequence of the lack of tolerant and inclusive dialogue between the state and its citizens, except for the purpose of proving a declarative commitment to Serbia's European perspective, without a genuine desire to consider different perspectives and the consequences of decisions made. The subsequent desire for dialogue, which has been demonstrated so far, in a situation where citizens are already expressing dissatisfaction through non-institutional means, cannot yield results, as it represents an attempt to retrospectively share responsibility for decisions that were previously made in a non-inclusive and non-participatory manner.

On the other hand, we note that the narrative of civic protests is simultaneously anti-European, even though the issue of mining activities has no direct connection with the European integration process, nor does it represent a new condition imposed by the European Union for Serbia's further progress in the negotiation process.

In light of all this, deeply concerned about the state of democracy and civil rights in Serbia, as well as its future in Europe, we are reaching out to you with a request that you clearly state your position on the involvement of the highest state officials in the campaign against the civil sector. Furthermore, in this context, we believe it is essential to clarify how the Government and the National Assembly envision further cooperation with the civil sector, including the National Convention.

We believe it is in everyone's interest to preserve the space for the free operation of the civil sector, which is crucial for the democratic development of any country. As we have emphasized many times before, the National Convention remains ready to assist in the democratization process of Serbia within the framework of the EU accession process, as well as in dialogue on any topic of importance to our society, provided there is a genuine willingness on the part of the institutions to approach it without prejudice against dissenters and with a sincere desire to respect differing opinions. For this to happen, it is necessary for representatives of the institutions, in line with the responsibility they have before the citizens, to refrain from further deepening divisions within society and to ensure institutional dialogue with all interested parties in the early stages of decision-making, rather than after certain decisions have been made.

In light of all the above, we expect your proposal for the next steps in communication between the institutions and the civil sector so that we can continue our cooperation in the interest of Serbia's EU accession process and Serbia's development through dialogue based on mutual respect and appreciation of different viewpoints.

Sincerely,

National Convention on the European Union