EUCRTA

✴️ New step in Serbia’s electoral reform process: a Commission formed to audit the Unified Voter Register.

Fixing voter register accuracy is essential for free and fair elections. Success depends on transparency and institutional cooperation.

Read more here:

🗣️ What Serbian civil society highlighted in Brussels (2/2):
⚠️ Disinformation and pressure on CSOs weaken trust in the EU path
🤝 Calls for dialogue without prior de-escalation by the government erode trust
🔁 EU engagement needs to be steady and long-term

🗣️ What Serbian civil society highlighted in Brussels (1/2):
📜 The problem is not the laws, but implementation and missing political will
🗳️ Elections remain structurally unfair despite formal reforms
📰🎓 Civic space, media freedom & academic autonomy are all shrinking

Participants included Members of the @europarl.europa.eu, policy advisors and other 🇪🇺 institutions, Serbian civil society representatives, diplomats and analysts. The discussion focused on reforms (or lack thereof) in Serbia, democratic backsliding, and the state of civic space.

On 11 December, EUCRTA, the SHARE Foundation and MEP Vladimir Prebilič hosted a closed discussion in the European Parliament @europarl.europa.eu, on the EU Commission's latest report on Serbia, Serbia’s EU accession process and recent developments in the country.

Key takeaways from the discussion👇

The discussion brought together representatives of EP, policy advisors and other EU institutions, Serbian civil society, diplomats and analysts to assess reforms, democratic backsliding, and civic space in Serbia.

This is a budget that finally treats enlargement as what it is - a strategic investment in Europe’s peace, security and resilience.

🌍 The Global Europe fund will double to €200 billion, with €43 billion earmarked for countries in the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood.
A dedicated €100 billion Ukraine Fund will support reforms, reconstruction and EU accession.

🇪🇺 The European Commission’s 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) makes enlargement a central part of Europe’s geopolitical strategy - backed by real money, not just promises.

💰 For the first time since the “big bang” EU enlargement, the European Union is visibly making room in its long-term budget for new Member States. It repositions enlargement as a real budgetary commitment, not just a distant aspiration.

Backing Enlargement: How the Next EU Budget Aims to Transform Europe - EUCRTA The European Commission’s proposed 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework makes enlargement a central pillar of its geopolitical strategy.

💰The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is the new buzzword in Brussels and will be the subject of heated discussions for the next two years.

But how is the next 🇪🇺 enlargement reflected in the European Commission's proposal?👇

Read the full brief on our website: eucrta.eu/updates/eu-m....

➡️ To truly support democratic change in Serbia, the EU should strengthen its ties with pro-democratic and pro-European political opposition and civil society, ensuring that any future government will see the EU as an ally.

➡️ At the same time, a wind of change is visible in the EU’s approach to Serbia, as EU institutions and representatives grow more vocal and critical of the country’s serious democratic backsliding.

➡️ While the continued protests calling for change signal a clear civic awakening, this momentum is being met with growing repression and deepening authoritarianism.

➡️ Serbian citizens increasingly feel their country is heading in the wrong direction. They see corruption as Serbia’s main problem, and 64% of citizens believe that snap parliamentary elections could offer a way out of the long-running crisis.

Last week, the @eucrta.bsky.social together with @epc-official.bsky.social and @biepag.bsky.social organized a public discussion titled “Serbia one year into the student-led protests – Where to next and what role for the EU?”.

Key takeaways from the exchange👇

🇷🇸 One year after Serbia’s student-led protests have started, repression of activists, media and civil society has intensified.

Join our Policy Dialogue on 5 November to examine what’s next for democratisation and EU engagement.

Register 👇
www.epc.eu/events/serbi...

As @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu arrives in Belgrade tomorrow, every word, handshake, and photo with those in power will be watched closely by students and 🇷🇸 citizens who, for 11 months, have faced violence while fighting for fundamental rights and democracy. It's time for🇪🇺 to choose a side!

European Parliament, Oct 2000:
“The visit to Biarritz (EU summit) of the newly elected President Kostunica which has formally brought Yugoslavia back into the European family and put an end to the isolation of that country.”

Günter Verheugen, EU Commissioner for Enlargement:
“The EU has always made it clear that the Serbian people have as much right to be in Europe as any of the other people of Europe. …We made it clear that any decision in favour of democratic change would also be a decision to return to Europe.”

Jacques Chirac, President of France:
“The European Union will continue to stand by your side to support the consolidation of the democratic process in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its return to the European family.”

Javier Solana, EU’s High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy:
“President Milosevic robbed his people of their freedom. This is what we must say and we must do everything we can to prevent it from happening again.”

Romano Prodi, President of European Commission:
“Europe stands ready to welcome the new Serbia with open arms.[...] Serbia is Europe. The road to peace and reconciliation is now open, leaving violence and hatred behind.”

The EU leaders openly supported Vojislav Koštunica as the newly elected President and all EU institutions expressed their readiness to reintegrate Serbia among European states as soon as there is a democratic change.

The 🇪🇺 Union offered immediate lifting of sanctions, a package of economic aid that helped the Serbian people to rebuild their economy, and a closer relationship with the EU including at the highest political level.

🇷🇸Today marks 25 years since the October 5 revolution and the fall of the Slobodan Milošević regime in Serbia.

This presents an opportunity to look back at how Europe reacted to the democratic shift in Yugoslavia, amidst the current protests in Serbia, the largest since the revolution.👇

The vast majority of protesters - and of Serbian society - want a European path. Over the past months, they’ve looked to Brussels, not to other capitals in the East. Their message is simple: they want democracy, rule of law, and a future rooted in freedom and Europe. 👇

Support for the EU is not only returning - it’s rising, driven by a renewed desire for democratic values, rule of law, and a future rooted in freedom. 👇

As HRVP Kaja Kallas visits Belgrade today, it’s time to speak plainly about what’s unfolding in Serbia.

Student-led protests have filled the streets for months, defying repression and resisting the government’s efforts to crush dissent.

CRTA addressed the state of the rule of law and human rights in Serbia, raising serious concerns regarding growing repression against students, activists and citizen voices, in front of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights 👇

crta.rs/en/crta-euro...