Report on state capture in Serbia is BCSP genuine and pioneering work aiming to document and deconstruct ongoing process of state capture in the security sector through presentation of mechanisms, actors and consequences of this process.

Report on state capture in Serbia is BCSP genuine and pioneering work aiming to document and deconstruct ongoing process of state capture in the security sector through presentation of mechanisms, actors and consequences of this process.

On the occasion of the release of the recent Freedom House “Nations in Transit” report in which Serbia found itself in the category of a “hybrid regime” instead of a democratic country for the first time in 17 years, we express serious concern for the state of democratic institutions in Serbia. We call on the Government of the Republic Serbia to take these assessments seriously and work hard towards ensuring the conditions for the improvement of democracy and media freedom in the country, and call on the European Union and its Member States to adequately recognise these issues as crucial in the process of European integration.

This analysis by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) concludes that during the 52 days it spent in a state of emergency, Serbia failed the test of democracy, thanks to a series of failings and irregularities in the conduct and control of the security sector.

How much has housing construction for members of the security forces disrupted the public procurement system, analyzed Nemanja Nenadic, Program Director of Transparency Serbia.

The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) calls on the Ministry of Defense to disclose information on the status of 60 members of the 1st Land Army Brigade who have been infected with the Covid 19, and to explain how it happened. We also call on the Ministry to inform the public of the total number of infected members of the Army, as well as of the measures taken to prevent a major spread of coronavirus in the Serbian Army.

We draw the attention of the domestic and international public to the unacceptable recent moves by the state authorities in Serbia during the state of emergency introduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which undermine democracy, rule of law, basic human rights and especially freedom of media.

State of emergency introduced because of epidemic is not a legal ground for total curfew and it would raise a number of issues. Total curfew is profoundly unconstitutional and not in line with the practice of the European Court of Human Rights, stated BCSP Director Igor Bandovic during the live appearance on TV N1. Reminiscing on the present situation in Hungary, BCSP Director pointed out that the state of emergency must not be abused with a goal to introduce an authoritarian system of government, in which the discretionary powers of those who rule would be without accountability. This report is republished from N1 website and originally is available here.

Serbian defence sector is facing major personnel drain, with the main reasons being workload, non-work related tasks, salaries and inability to get promotion. This was highlighted at an event organised by Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) on 5 March 2020 in Belgrade.