More than 40 students from Serbia attended a meeting at the European Parliament with three Members of the European Parliament – Gordana Bosanac from Croatia, Irena Jovova from Slovenia, and Fabien Keller from France. At the meeting, the students discussed problems in Serbia and gave a detailed account of the events following the collapse of the canopy in Novi Sad on November 1 of last year.
The meeting lasted a little over half an hour. The students submitted one of the four letters they prepared for European institutions and the President of France.
“The reason we are here is – help. Our government in Serbia does not represent the will of the people, so we are forced to seek help from those outside Serbia. This letter contains a detailed description of the events in our country,” said one of the students.
Irena Jovova thanked the students and the people from Serbia who helped them reach Strasbourg.
“You have done more in these 13 days than politicians have in 13 years, and only with bicycles. On behalf of the three of us, I promise that we will do everything we can to fight for a better future. You represent the values we in the European Union stand for,” said Jovova at the start of the meeting.
“It was incredible to watch what is happening in Serbia. We followed the protests even before November of last year, but your movement is a great avalanche of change that you have started. We here also need change, which is why what you are doing goes beyond the borders of Serbia. You have inspired students in Croatia and around the world,” said Bosanac.
He emphasized that in May a session will be held in the European Parliament about the events in Serbia and asked everyone to help them convey the messages of the citizens of Serbia in the right way.
Everyone at the meeting agreed that the idea of the institutions in Strasbourg is the fight for democracy, the rule of law, and against corruption.
When asked by Danas what concrete measures the European Parliament can take to support the rule of law in Serbia and citizens seeking justice, given that Serbia is not part of the European Union or the European Parliament, the MEPs responded – “we must not stop and we must keep trying.”
“We understand that the people of Serbia may be disappointed by the lack of response from institutions and the European Union to the problems you have faced so far, but you must know that it is not easy and that there are many diplomatic obstacles,” Bosanac told Danas.
“In May we will present the problems in Parliament, it will be recorded on the agenda for the next time the Serbian authorities come here. We have a series of negotiations underway with the authorities. We cannot do this alone and we cannot interfere in Serbia’s internal affairs, but we can support the values you are fighting for,” said Jovova for Danas.
Previously, several dozen Serbian students gathered in front of the Council of Europe building in protest. The students announced they would hold 16 minutes of silence and then walk to all institutions in Strasbourg – the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights. Irena Jovova, Goran Bosanac, and Fabien Keller are the three MEPs who received the students in the European Parliament, reports the Danas correspondent.
According to Danas, from sources within the Council of Europe, the students will be received at 3 p.m. for a meeting with the institution’s highest officials.
The students will be received by the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe – Bjorn Berge and Director for Democracy Matjaž Gruden.
The students prepared four letters, written by students from Novi Sad, which they will send to the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the European Commission in Brussels, and the President of France Emmanuel Macron.
FIND OUT MORE IN ENGLISH:
In the letter, they listed, as they said, the problems in Serbia and a detailed report regarding the collapse of the canopy in Novi Sad on November 1 of last year.
Veljko from FTN, one of the students, said that they are sending the letter to the President of France out of respect for that institution.
“We have forgotten what it means to be a president, we are addressing the French president and the public because they received us. There were several messages, but the main one is that we are a new generation willing to leave Serbia, but also to return. That is the most important message,” he said.
“For now, we have confirmation that some MPs will read the letters at the next session of the European Parliament. That way our voice will be heard in those institutions.”
Regarding today’s meeting with European officials, which will be held at 3 p.m., he says they will inform them of all events in Serbia.
“We made a list of events in Serbia from November 1 until now. We want to chronologically describe what has been happening,” he said.
The students will point out the problems in Serbia to the high officials.
Shortly before noon, they gathered at the Council of Europe and read the open letter to Emmanuel Macron, which they will send to his office and the European Council in Brussels.
They held 16 minutes of silence and now they are all walking together to the European Parliament to meet with the three MEPs.
Let us recall, after thirteen days of cycling, the Serbian students who set off to Strasbourg in search of justice reached their final destination last night.
MORE TOPICS:
Source: Danas; Foto: EPA-EFE/ Ronald Wittek