Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic once again responded to the European Parliament (EP) and Council of Europe (CoE) members’ allegations of Serbian election irregularities. In addition to downplaying the importance of what has been said, Vucic also described the MEPs pointing out election irregularities as “haters of Serbia.”

“There were more people in the Council of Europe who were positive about the Serbian elections than the other way around. In the European Parliament, it was a tie. But you’d rather quote Viola von Cramon, Klemen Groselj, Andreas Schieder, and Stefan Shennah. The worst haters of Serbia. Is there a single person among them not insisting that we recognize Kosovo? No. Is there anyone not insisting that we must immediately impose sanctions on Russia? No, there isn’t,” stressed Vucic.

He added that Serbia had elections and that the relevant authorities “had their say.”

Klemen Groselj MEP said it was the Serbian government that had invited them to observe the elections.

“If the authorities find that this is not necessary, that we are enemies, they shouldn’t invite us, we won’t come and they can have any kind of elections they like. I am certain that I am not an enemy of Serbia, but I am concerned because the Serbian authorities are forging some alliances with political forces in the European Parliament who one day defend Vucic, and the next day say they are against enlargement, which means that they are against Serbia joining the European Union and then the Serbian citizens must decide for themselves who is Serbia’s friend and who is its enemy,” said Groselj.

Viola von Cramon MEP said she is a friend of Serbia and that she would like to see it in the EU.

However, she noted that there are criteria that need to be met and that Serbia is no exception. Our colleagues are demanding an investigation into the election irregularities, access to information and facts, said Von Cramon, adding that it is not just her but that all Serbia’s friends in the European Parliament are demanding this.