STRASBOURG – The glorification of Ratko Mladić, convicted of genocide and war crimes, including his funeral with military honors and attendance of Serbian high-ranking officials, deeply contradicts all the values on which the EU rests, speakers noted at today’s debate in the European Parliament.
Marta Kos, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, stated that what has happened over the past few weeks is a reminder of how difficult it is to face one of the darkest chapters of recent European history.
“The pictures from Ratko Mladić’s funeral were very disturbing, they demonstrate the failure to face the past and they contradict the values which represent the essence of European integration. It was particularly disturbing to see Serbian ministers, officials, representatives of the army, as well as leaders and politicians from the Republic of Srpska attending the funeral and paying tribute to the war criminal”, she noted.
Kos called on the authorities in Serbia and all actors in the region to contribute to reconciliation and the establishment of good neighbourly relations.
“The pictures we saw do not represent the society of Serbia as a whole… Serbia is something more than that, Serbia is its people, its youth, journalists, artists, civil servants, citizens who want their country to move forward. Such a Serbia has a place in the European Union”, Marta Kos remarked.
She also urged the Serbian authorities to “stop using the past as an obstacle to the future ” and to start a genuine reconciliation, for the sake of a peaceful future in the Union.
Davor Ivo Stier, Member of the European People’s Party group in the EP, assessed that the glorification of Ratko Mladić in part of the population in Serbia, including the government and part of the opposition, is open.
“Always balancing between Europe and its enemies, Serbian President decided not to go to Mladić’s funeral, but nevertheless sent his son and his ministers, while the media inclined to the authorities made sure that there was an open glorification of Ratko Mladić. We should clearly say that for those who glorify Mladić there is no place in the EU, nor should the funds of the EU be paid for those who do not want to distance themselves from the politics of Slobodan Milošević,” Stier said.
According to Tonino Picula, ЕP Papporteur for Serbia and Member of the Socialists and Democrats group, the way the war criminal was buried shows not only the unacceptable attitude towards the recent tragic past, but also the direction in which the government is leading Serbia today.
“Ratko Mladić has been convicted by the International Court in the Hague of genocide and war crimes, and therefore we must not remain silent about his shameful funeral… The EU must fight historical revisionism and the relativization of crimes. Vučić buried one war criminal with state honors, while he entered the pre-election alliance with another, Šešelj”, Picula stated.
He stressed that “the open question is whether Serbia should continue EU accession negotiations while it is led by this government”.
In a similar vein, Helmut Brandstätter, Member of the “Renew Europe” (liberals) group in the EP, said that the EU could not tolerate the glorification of a convicted war criminal.
“Vučić, who has maintained friendly relations with China and Russia, wants only our money… A government that tolerates the glorification of Mladić cannot be part of the European Union, and I am grateful to Commissioner Kos for not going to Serbia”, he stressed.
In addition, Brandstätter called on the EPP to “cut all ties” with the Serbian Progressive Party.
According to Vladimir Prebilič, Member of the Greens in the EP, the fact that Mladić was buried with military honors and with the help of the state, is “spitting in the face of Europe and war victims”.
He noted that such a decision was “unacceptable, obscene, and has nothing to do with European values, asking members of EPP group “where your red lines are”.
