MPs unsurprised by diminishing enthusiasm for EU

BELGRADE A new poll suggesting a record low support for Serbia's possible future EU membership has apparently not caught the country's MPs by surprise. Commenting on the survey - to be officially presented on January 31 - some saw the European Union's position on Kosovo and Metohija as the main reason behind the results. MPs unsurprised by diminishing enthusiasm for EU Ruling SNS MP and Chair of the Committee on Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun said on Tuesday that the constantly dropping support for EU integrations was "not good", and that "it should be stopped very soon". Drecun believes that EU's "uncompromising" policy on Kosovo was one reason why the Serbians were losing their enthusiasm for joining the organization - others being the economic crisis in the union, and lower standard of living and employment rate. "The constant setting of new conditions for a date for the start of (EU membership) negotiations, and insistence that Serbia should make concessions, are the most important reasons behind the decline," Drecun stated, and added that the trend would reverse "if the EU's policy on Kosovo changed essentially - which means that Serbia's interests would also be taken into account". Still, this MP believes that even though only 41 percent of citizens now support such a move - Serbia "should not give up on (joining) the EU". The ruling United Serbia (JS) officials also believe that issues related to the province - "such as a UN chair for Kosovo" - played a part in the results, as did the acquittals in the Hague Tribunal of Croats and Albanians accused of committing war crimes against Serbs. JS MP Petar Petrovic told reporters that he believes that the government was "doing its job well and doing everything in order for Serbia to get a date as soon as possible", and advised "the international community" to realize that it must make corrections to its policy - "because the people of Serbia cannot silently accept what is being done." Another MP who believes the latest Hague rulings influenced the new survey results was Ivan Bauer of the ruling SDPS. He also singled out "contradictory messages coming from the EU". "We are on a fairly good path and regardless of all that, we can expect an acceleration of the EU road in the coming period," Bauer believes. He also praised the government for "doing a lot" in order for his prediction to materialize. Meanwhile in the opposition camp, DSS MP Sanda Raskovic-Ivic said the poll showed that Serbians understood the direction their country should be taking "much better and more correctly that the political elite": "The EU is actively working on stealing our state territory. If the political elite wants to see clearly where the people stand, it needs to hold a referendum on EU accession." Bojan Djuric of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) believes that it is "problematic for Serbia that this low level of support for European integration occurred before the country had even begun accession talks". "Another problem in Serbia is that the conviction of the political elite that Serbia must be Europeanized and join the EU is not strong," said Djuric. According to him, the citizens "reacted rationally": "The citizens are rational and they react in that way to a situation where the former DS-led government was presenting the EU as an ATM, while in the meantime we had a new government which is presenting the EU as a fetish, an object of adulation, and a scarecrow - all at the same time." A view of the Serbian parliament (Beta, file) Tanjug

MPs unsurprised by diminishing enthusiasm for EU

Ruling SNS MP and Chair of the Committee on Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun said on Tuesday that the constantly dropping support for EU integrations was "not good", and that "it should be stopped very soon".

Drecun believes that EU's "uncompromising" policy on Kosovo was one reason why the Serbians were losing their enthusiasm for joining the organization - others being the economic crisis in the union, and lower standard of living and employment rate.

"The constant setting of new conditions for a date for the start of (EU membership) negotiations, and insistence that Serbia should make concessions, are the most important reasons behind the decline," Drecun stated, and added that the trend would reverse "if the EU's policy on Kosovo changed essentially - which means that Serbia's interests would also be taken into account".

Still, this MP believes that even though only 41 percent of citizens now support such a move - Serbia "should not give up on (joining) the EU".

The ruling United Serbia (JS) officials also believe that issues related to the province - "such as a UN chair for Kosovo" - played a part in the results, as did the acquittals in the Hague Tribunal of Croats and Albanians accused of committing war crimes against Serbs.

JS MP Petar Petrović told reporters that he believes that the government was "doing its job well and doing everything in order for Serbia to get a date as soon as possible", and advised "the international community" to realize that it must make corrections to its policy - "because the people of Serbia cannot silently accept what is being done."

Another MP who believes the latest Hague rulings influenced the new survey results was Ivan Bauer of the ruling SDPS. He also singled out "contradictory messages coming from the EU".

"We are on a fairly good path and regardless of all that, we can expect an acceleration of the EU road in the coming period," Bauer believes. He also praised the government for "doing a lot" in order for his prediction to materialize.

Meanwhile in the opposition camp, DSS MP Sanda Rašković-Ivić said the poll showed that Serbians understood the direction their country should be taking "much better and more correctly that the political elite":

"The EU is actively working on stealing our state territory. If the political elite wants to see clearly where the people stand, it needs to hold a referendum on EU accession."

Bojan Đurić of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) believes that it is "problematic for Serbia that this low level of support for European integration occurred before the country had even begun accession talks".

"Another problem in Serbia is that the conviction of the political elite that Serbia must be Europeanized and join the EU is not strong," said Đurić.

According to him, the citizens "reacted rationally":

"The citizens are rational and they react in that way to a situation where the former DS-led government was presenting the EU as an ATM, while in the meantime we had a new government which is presenting the EU as a fetish, an object of adulation, and a scarecrow - all at the same time."