20 January 2025 The participants of the meeting

20 January 2025 The participants of the meeting

Monday, 20 January 2025

Opposition Parties’ Representatives Meet with European Commission’s Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Director General

Representatives of a number of opposition parliamentary groups in the National Assembly met with the Director General of the European Commission’s Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Gert Jan Koopman.


Speaking on behalf of their political parties, the opposition representatives pointed out that the country is in a major political and social crisis caused by the lack of rule of law and a "captured state", and that student protests are developing towards a general strike.

Prof. Dr Slobodan Cvejic opened the meeting by saying that the majority of opposition parties have been advocating for Serbia's entry into the European Union for years. The opposition does this by fighting for basic European values, while the government negotiates EU accession only declaratively, while behind the scene it takes moves that impede of the process, said Cvejic.

The Director General of the European Commission’s Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Gert Jan Koopman put forward the view that achieving EU standards and membership is the best way out of the political crisis and recommended that all institutions, the ruling majority and the opposition both, participate in this process. He stressed that the European Union is closely following the developments in Serbia and that it has condemned the violence against the protestors, but is firm in its belief that Serbia's European path is the only way to resolve the current crisis in the country.

The meeting was also addressed by MPs Radomir Lazovic, Borko Stefanovic, Vladimir Djordjevic, Ahmedin Skrijelj, Pavle Grbovic, Zeljko Veselinovic and Djordje Stankovic. They drew attention the violence taking place on the streets during the protests and the need to meet the students' demands. They also pointed to the importance of respecting the rule of law and freedom of the media, adding that an independent analysis had already pointed to numerous irregularities in the process of electing members of the REM Council. They also stressed that participation in early or regular parliamentary elections is unacceptable without changes to the electoral conditions and a revision of the voter register.


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monday, 15 december
  • 11.00 - sitting of the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 2)

  • 11.00 - sitting of the of the Committee on Education, Science, Technological Development and the Information Society (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 4)

  • 11.00 - judges elected to judicial office for the first time take the oath of office before the National Assembly Speaker (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Small Hall)

  • 11.30 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the Ukrainian Ambassador (National Assembly Building, 14 Kralja Milana Street)

  • 12.00 - opening of the exhibition marking 150 years since the birth of Mileva Maric Einstein (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Central Hall)

  • 12.00 - sitting of the Committee on the Judiciary, Public Administration and Local Self-Government (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 3)

  • 13.00 - sitting of the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 3)

  • 17.00 - sitting of the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 4)

  • 17.05 - National Assembly Deputy Speaker at the AEPA Association if Lawyers Conference: NO MORE SILENCE – ME AGAIN (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Small Hall)

Full event calendar