• 2025-09-06

National Convention on the European Union strongly condemns the excessive use of force in Novi Sad

NCEU

The National Convention on the European Union strongly condemns the excessive use of force by the police, as well as the violation of the autonomy of the University, which occurred following a peaceful protest in Novi Sad. It is unacceptable that citizens located far from the site of the incidents were subjected to physical violence and repression.

If the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia is unable to effectively and professionally neutralize a small group of violent individuals without resorting to excessive force against other citizens and students, we expect it to seek assistance within the framework of institutional cooperation with the European Union, as part of the reform processes in the fields of rule of law and security.

Equally alarming are the threats made by the President of the Republic against prosecutors, media outlets, Members of the European Parliament, and certain EU Member States during his address last night. Such statements, combined with an unwillingness to accept any reasoned criticism from the European Union, directly undermine confidence in the government’s sincerity about Serbia’s European path.

We expect the Government and the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia to clearly state whether Serbia remains committed to membership in the European Union, as well as to the benefits that citizens derive from the country’s candidate status.

At the same time, the National Convention calls on representatives of EU institutions and Member States to unequivocally condemn the use of excessive force, whose sole purpose is to suppress peaceful civic protests in Serbia, and which only further deepens the ongoing crisis. Stronger EU engagement, along with a clear condemnation of violations of its fundamental principles in candidate countries, is essential to safeguard the credibility of the enlargement process.

Source: NCEU