Sandro Gozi, Secretary General of the European Democratic Party (EDP) respond to statements made by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić during a prime-time interview on Serbia’s main public television channel, where he devoted nearly three minutes to attacking the EDP and its leadership.
The remarks followed a social media post published by the EDP asking a political question: who will be the next autocrat to fall after Viktor Orbán, referencing several leaders including President Vučić. The post gained significant traction in Serbia, reaching over one million views and generating widespread engagement among Serbian citizens.
In response, President Vučić dismissed the EDP as irrelevant, while simultaneously dedicating substantial airtime to criticising it. For the EDP, this contradiction speaks for itself.
In a video message released today, Sandro Gozi underlines this inconsistency and reiterates a fundamental point: in a democratic society, political questions and public debate should not be met with personal attacks or attempts to discredit critics.
Here the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/Y27C-LPU2TE?feature=share
The video also raises concerns about the state of democratic standards in Serbia: “Over the past months, we have seen pressure on independent media, professors and students silenced at the University of Belgrade, and serious concerns around electoral violations. This is not the standard expected from a country aspiring to be part of the European Union,” said Sandro Gozi.
“Freedom is not a slogan. It requires independent institutions, free media and respect for political pluralism,” Gozi added. “If a simple social media post provokes such a reaction, it raises legitimate questions about the resilience of that freedom.”
The EDP therefore calls on President Vučić to move beyond monologues and accept a direct, public debate.
“We are ready for an open discussion on freedom, democracy and Europe, on a neutral platform such as N1, in front of independent journalists,” Gozi said.
The EDP reiterates its commitment to democratic values, freedom of expression and open political dialogue across Europe, including in candidate countries such as Serbia.
