Response to interpellation 2024/25:751 on support for the democracy movement in Serbia
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns Sweden's support for the democracy movement in Serbia and the government's actions against the country's democratic regression. M is concerned about police brutality, pressure on journalists and civil society, and President Vučić's actions 1. M argues that the government has urged Serbia to respect freedom of expression, contributed aid to independent media, and is pushing high demands within the EU 1 2 3. M considers criticism of the government's silence to be unfair as they have acted clearly through ministerial visits 2. MP considers the government's actions to be too passive and lacking visibility 4 5. MP argues that passivity risks causing young Serbs to turn towards Russia 4. MP wants Sweden to make its support for the democracy movement more visible 5 6.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! Jacob Risberg has asked me how I and the government view the latest developments in Serbia, including the reports of police brutality, what the government is doing to show solidarity with the Serbian students and the democracy movement, and what initiatives Sweden is taking within the EU to ensure that the union acts to strengthen democratic development in Serbia.
The Government is concerned about the ongoing political developments in Serbia. The country's clear democratic regression and reports of violence and police brutality against peaceful demonstrators are particularly worrying. The Government takes seriously the pressure that Serbia's government and authorities are now exerting against journalists, civil society, and academia – something that has intensified during the ongoing demonstrations. Such restrictions of fundamental freedoms and rights are incompatible with the commitments Serbia has made as a candidate country to the EU.
The government has in several contexts urged the government in Serbia to fully respect the freedom of assembly and freedom of expression and emphasized the importance of the media's independence. Sweden has for a long time contributed aid to civil society organizations and independent media in Serbia, with the aim of promoting democratic development, strengthening the principles of the rule of law and an open public debate.
In April, EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz visited Belgrade. There, she met with representatives of the Serbian government, civil society, and the opposition. During the visit, she expressed Sweden's concern over the situation in Serbia. In her meeting with President Vučić, the EU Minister specifically highlighted the Serbian government's harsh actions against the protesters. It is of the utmost importance that Serbian authorities fully respect the protesters' freedom of expression and assembly and do not exercise violence against peaceful demonstrations.
Sweden supports Serbia's EU rapprochement, but the government in Belgrade needs to urgently demonstrate political will to implement the democratic reforms expected of an EU candidate country.
Jacob Risberg (MP)
Madam Speaker! First and foremost, I would like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for being here today and answering my questions on how Sweden works with Serbia.
After an accident at a train station in Novi Sad in November 2024 which claimed 16 lives, the Serbian people and not least the country's youth and students have risen in protest against the extensive corruption and the democratic decay under President Aleksandar Vučić's rule. The demonstrations have grown into a broad democracy movement with demands for accountability and justice.
The Serbian government's response has been increased oppression. The unrest has escalated as a result of police violence against peaceful protesters and arbitrary arrests. At the same time, Russia expresses its full support for the incumbent authoritarian and pro-Russian government in Belgrade.
In light of this, it is deeply concerning that the Swedish government has so far been relatively silent about the developments. Miljöpartiet considers that Sweden, as a country with a strong tradition of solidarity with democratic movements, should take a clear stand for the young Serbs' struggle for democracy and for Serbia's journey towards EU membership.
My questions to the Minister for Foreign Affairs were therefore how the government views the developments in Serbia, including the reports of police brutality, what the government is doing to show solidarity with the Serbian students and the democracy movement, and what initiatives Sweden has taken within the EU to ensure that the union works and acts to strengthen the democratic development in Serbia.
What answers have we then received from the Foreign Minister? Well, in the answer it is said that the government is concerned about the ongoing political developments in the country. One is particularly concerned about the police brutality that is being seen. The government views seriously the pressure that the Serbian government and authorities are now exerting against journalists, civil society, and academia. It is also said that the government in several contexts has urged the government in Serbia to fully respect the freedom of assembly and expression and emphasized the importance of the media's independence.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs also refers to Minister Rosencrantz's visit to Belgrade this spring, where she expressed Sweden's concern over the situation in Serbia and that it is of the utmost importance that Serbian authorities fully respect the demonstrators' freedom of expression and assembly.
I would like to take the opportunity to praise the government for having, for a long time, contributed aid to civil society organizations and independent media in Serbia in order to promote democratic development and strengthen the principles of the rule of law and an open public debate. But I still think it is far too passive.
It feels as though there is some form of cowardice both from Sweden and from the EU when it comes to not offending the Serbian government too much, as if one hopes that through passivity one can wait out some kind of democratic development and as if one prefers stability in the Western Balkans instead of fully tackling and supporting the democracy movement. It risks leading to young people in Serbia losing faith in the EU and more choosing to turn towards Russia, and it will also risk reducing the EU's future influence in the entire region.
Many Serbs want the EU to be an active force for democracy and human rights, but if the union continues to prioritize Vučić's regime over the people's demands, it could in the long run reduce support for European integration.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank you for this important interpellation.
Respect for democracy, for freedom of expression and assembly, and for the principles of the rule of law is completely fundamental for a country that is both a candidate country to the EU and a party to the European Convention. For that very reason, it is unjustifiable that President Vučić called the Members of the European Parliament who visited Novi Sad on September 5 to support the demonstrators and their demands for reforms "scum".
It is worrying that Vučić, who is leading a candidate country to the EU and who should be working to implement the fundamental reforms required for EU membership, blames the protesters for the lack of progress. The protesters' demands that the political institutions should respect the constitution are fully legitimate, and the president's claim of a color revolution funded from the West is, of course, completely groundless.
President Vučić has in recent months visited both Russia and China and has on both occasions met Vladimir Putin. This spring he visited Moscow in connection with the so-called Victory Day, on May 9. It was something the government reacted strongly to. While Moscow celebrated the war on May 9, Europe celebrated peace. The choice should have been simple.
Our message to all candidate countries, including Serbia, is crystal clear. Relations with Russia cannot continue as usual due to Russia's unjust war of aggression against Ukraine. Serbia now needs to choose a path.
I think that Jacob Risberg is somewhat unfair in his criticism. I do not think that the government has been relatively silent in its criticism of Serbia – on the contrary. There are not many government representatives who choose to travel to Serbia and convey their very clear criticism, but that is what Jessica Rosencrantz chose to do. In connection with that, she also spoke out openly and very critically.
Jacob Risberg (MP)
Madam Speaker! I believe that the Foreign Minister and I are fundamentally in agreement on these issues, but I still lack a bit more activity and, above all, visibility for the government's policy.
On the government's website, there is a notice about Minister Rosencrantz's visit to Belgrade, but information is missing regarding Sweden's position, what demands were made, and what was desired from Serbia in political terms. What is highlighted instead is that the Minister would participate in a Team Sweden conference organized in cooperation with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. If one is to interpret it a bit poorly, one almost gets the feeling that Swedish investments and trade with Serbia are more important than the democratic development.
Serbia has a long history of being an active party in conflicts that have also affected Sweden, most recently during the Balkan Wars. Now Serbia balances between a dependence on Russia and a striving for EU membership. It is a historical struggle for Europe's future, with an obvious risk of it turning into a civil war. The protesters clearly show their tireless will through symbolic acts such as cycling to Strasbourg and running to Brussels.
At the same time, corruption permeates Serbian society – from culture and media to healthcare and the justice system. Independent reporting on corruption is lacking in the country. And if one openly supports the student movement, it can mean that one loses their job.
It is particularly worrying for the Serbian students. Many medical, nursing, and engineering students are forced to interrupt their studies because of their pursuit of freedom and democracy. And studying in Serbia today costs between 4,000 and 10,000 euros per year. It is a burden that risks wiping out an entire generation of Serbian students – this in a Europe that is already struggling with demographic challenges. It represents an enormous waste both for the individuals and for our common future.
Many in Sweden have a background in Serbia or other countries in the western Balkans, and many of these have been involved in building up Sweden's welfare. One sees now how engaged they are in Serbia when it comes to building up the same type of society there. But one also sees that a great deal of support from the outside world is lacking.
When one sees hundreds of thousands of young people peacefully demonstrating for basic rights, one is both moved and saddened by Sweden's silence. The question is how long they can remain peaceful without support and what responsibility the EU and Sweden bear if their strength fails and the situation escalates.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! Sweden is pushing within the EU that high requirements must be set on democratic reforms in all candidate countries, including Serbia. I can assure Jacob Risberg that this is an issue that is often discussed in the council constellation, where a very deep concern is also expressed over the developments in Serbia.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs' ambassador for human rights visited Serbia this spring for a dialogue on these issues with, among others, representatives of the Serbian government and for civil society. Serbia needs to act promptly to protect the fundamental freedoms and rights in the country, to accelerate rule of law reforms, and to ensure that media can work freely without harassment from the authorities.
The government's control over the media is already extensive today. Reports are now also emerging regarding attempts to take control of and silence some of the last independent media actors in Serbia. If the development regarding the restriction of free media continues, the country risks facing a situation without independent journalism.
Sweden has for a long time supported Serbia's reform work to promote the country's EU rapprochement. The government's focus right now is to support efforts aimed at civil society and independent media in the country to strengthen democracy, the principles of the rule of law, and freedom of expression. This is perhaps particularly needed now after cuts in American aid, which have meant that civil society organizations in Serbia have found it increasingly difficult to operate. Sweden sees a continued need for support to civil society in various forms.
Finally, I want to mention what Jacob Risberg raised regarding the corruption in Serbia. It is a major obstacle to both democracy and investments, and this is an area where Serbia must show concrete results. Sweden has also supported efforts to increase transparency and the rule of law.
Jacob Risberg (MP)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Foreign Minister, for coming here today and speaking about Serbia with me!
I am pleased with a good deal of the answers that the Minister for Foreign Affairs has given, and just as I said in my previous speech, I actually believe that we are fundamentally in agreement on these issues. But I would still like to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, moving forward, if it is indeed the case that many things are being done in these issues from both a Swedish and a European side, they can be made a bit more visible. It is not just about perhaps writing a notice on the government's website – the notice now even lacks information on what one wants from Serbia – but also about making visible that our struggle for a free and democratic Serbia is for real and that we truly stand up for and support the democracy movement. I believe that those types of signals also contribute to hope and increased engagement among those demonstrating in Serbia, and it is something they really need in this situation.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! I would like to conclude by thanking you for this important debate. I always find it very pleasant to debate with Jacob Risberg.
I really want to emphasize that Sweden supports Serbia's rapprochement with the EU, but we are simultaneously setting high demands. Serbia must deliver in terms of the reforms required to achieve EU membership and which the student movement in Serbia also demands. Unfortunately, we see a development in rather the opposite direction. When the expansion is discussed in an EU context, Sweden therefore argues that we view the shrinking democratic space and the lack of reforms in Serbia very seriously.
President Vučić needs to show through concrete reforms that Serbia's goal remains EU membership and not accuse the West of staging color revolutions.
Sweden's embassy regularly meets with civil society and the opposition in Serbia. Furthermore, the EU's new head of delegation in Serbia is Swedish and a very skilled diplomat. We are heard, seen, and noticed in Serbia – more than the vast majority. And there is no doubt that we set demands because we also care.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.