EU Commission holds first talks with Serbia’s Student List
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos met four Student List representatives in Brussels on Monday, the party’s first high-level EU contact since its landslide win. Talks centred on democracy and domestic affairs, as polling irregularities delay the new government.
Serbia's newly elected Student List met with the European Commission in Brussels for the first time this week, discussing domestic issues rather than EU relations. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos hosted a delegation of the party that won Serbia's recent elections by a significant margin, expressing support for domestic reforms.
The Student List, which came to power after months of student protests, secured an absolute majority in parliament, marking an end to 14 years of rule by Aleksandar Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). For Brussels, the shift in government in Belgrade brings optimism for improving ties with the Western Balkans' most influential country.
However, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama cautioned that the new Serbian government may not recognize Kosovo, a crucial issue in relations with the EU. Commissioner Kos affirmed her meeting with the Student List earlier in the week, emphasizing the party's commitment to bolstering democratic institutions, fundamental rights, and advancing Serbia's EU integration.
The Commission's assessment of Serbia pointed to ongoing challenges in fundamental rights and persistent anti-EU rhetoric from Serbian authorities, though these observations were made before the elections and thus might not entirely reflect the post-election reality. The Student List's primary focus during the Brussels meeting was on restoring the rule of law and democracy in Serbia, with the delegation expressing willingness to collaborate with the EU for necessary reforms.
The movement's emergence was driven by a tragic incident at a railway station in Novi Sad, which resulted in 16 deaths and heightened public anger over corruption and negligence under the SNS regime. The Commission's visit coincided with the party's quest to form a government amid ongoing electoral irregularities. The Student List, composed of political newcomers including academics and professionals, now faces additional challenges, including presidential elections slated for late December.
Signs of political realignment are already evident, with the head of the public broadcaster RTS resigning, senior police officials under arrest, and the operating license of a bank linked to the SNS revoked being revoked.
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