Croatian Picula new rappateur for Serbia
Serbia has been an EU accession candidate since 2012. Now Croatian MEP Tonino Picula has been appointed as the permanent rapporteur of the European Parliament for Serbia. However the member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats is unpopular in Serbia owing to his stance on Balkan issues. Does this make him unsuitable for the post?
A clear provocation
The choice of Picula is a clear affront to Serbia, the country's leading newspaper Politika fumes:
“Continued pressure on Serbia and President Vučić to abandon the sovereigntist policy that puts our country first, as well as disregard for the human rights of Serbs in neighbouring countries based on unfounded allegations that Belgrade is destabilising the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro: this is how the European Parliament's decision to elect Croatian MEP Tonino Picula as the new rapporteur for Serbia could be interpreted. Based on Picula's rhetoric to date, this clear provocation aims to continue a policy of double standards under the pretext of the fight for European values.”
Only an embodiment of the majority situation
Ultimately the most important thing is not who assumes this post, says Jutarnji list:
“The problem with the current Serbian government is the position of the European Parliament as a whole, not just Picula. Because decisions in the European Parliament are made democratically by majority vote, the reports on Serbia are always critical. The rapporteur is in charge of drafting and organising the reports and resolutions, but in the end it's the majority that decides, not him personally. ... Just as the great friend of Serbia [and previous permanent rapporteur Vladimír] Bilčík [Serbia] was unable to do much good for Serbia in the European Parliament, Picula won't be able to do much damage either, despite the ugly and inflammatory rhetoric against him from pro-government media in Serbia.”