Open Letter from NCEU to the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia

Dear Sir/Madam,

As you may know, the National Convention on the European Union is the largest network of civil society organisations in Serbia, comprising several hundred member organisations, including NGOs, professional and academic organisations, and individuals united in supporting the European integration of Serbia. Over the past decade, the National Convention has been institutionally recognised by the Government and the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia as a channel for public involvement in the negotiation process with the European Union. Given the drastic deterioration in conditions for civic engagement over the past few months, we reach out to you, sincerely concerned about the future of Serbia’s European integration process, as well as the institutional dialogue that was previously recognised as a model of transparent and effective public participation in the EU accession negotiations with Serbia.

In recent weeks, we have witnessed an increasing number of activist arrests and statements by high-ranking state officials accusing civil society organisations, including members of the National Convention who have been sharing their knowledge and resources with state institutions for years within the EU accession process, of being foreign agents, state enemies, and individuals aiming to destabilise the country and endanger the President’s security. Additionally, some members of the National Convention Working Group for Chapter 35, which monitors the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, have been subjected to unjustified and baseless detention at border crossings by Ministry of Interior officials, apparently based on lists related to verbal offenses mentioned by Minister Ivica Dačić. The latest such case occurred at Belgrade Airport the previous evening.

All of this, coupled with a campaign led by tabloid journalists posing as forensic experts, prosecutors, and judges, creates an atmosphere of fear and insecurity that severely hampers, if not outright prevents, our continued work. This latest campaign is based on the fact that some civil society organisations receive funds for their work from foreign sources in a completely legal manner, sources which also finance the 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 stand in direct contradiction to international law and commitments of Serbia in the field of human rights and democratic freedoms, particularly in the context of negotiating chapters 23 and 24. The right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association are fundamental rights that every democratic state should protect, and the current actions of state authorities cast doubt on the commitment of Serbia to these principles.

We believe that the situation in which our society finds itself is a consequence of the lack of a tolerant and inclusive dialogue between the state and its citizens, except to demonstrate declarative commitment to Serbia’s European perspective, without a genuine desire to consider different perspectives and the consequences of decisions made. Any subsequent willingness for dialogue, as has been demonstrated so far, in a situation where citizens are already starting to express dissatisfaction through non-institutional means, cannot produce results, as it represents an attempt to retroactively share responsibility for decisions previously made in a non-inclusive and non-participatory manner.

On the other hand, we observe that the narrative of civic protests is simultaneously anti-European, even though the topic of mining activities has no direct connection to the European integration process, nor does it represent a new condition imposed by the European Union on Serbia regarding its 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 European prospects, we request that you clearly state your position regarding the involvement of the highest state officials in the campaign against the civil sector. Furthermore, in this context, we find it necessary to clarify how the Government and the National Assembly view future cooperation with the civil sector, including the National Convention.

We believe it is in everyone’s interest to preserve the space for the free work of the civil sector, which is crucial for the democratic development of any country. As we have emphasised several times before, the National Convention is still ready to support Serbia’s democratisation process within the EU accession process, as well as dialogue on any topic of importance to our society, if there is a genuine willingness from institutions to approach it without prejudice towards dissenting opinions and with a true desire to respect differing views. For this to happen, it is necessary for institutional representatives, following their responsibilities to the citizens, to refrain from further deepening divisions within society and to ensure institutional dialogue with all interested actors in the earlier stages of decision-making, rather than after decisions have been made.

Considering the above, we expect a proposal for further steps in communication between institutions and the civil sector so that we can continue our cooperation in the interest of Serbia’s EU accession process and the development of Serbia through dialogue based on mutual respect and consideration of different viewpoints.

Sincerely,

The National Convention on the European Union (NCEU)