In a vote that is likely to be a landmark for the country’s future, on Wednesday 28 January, the National Assembly of Serbia adopted several amendments to a contentious law on judicial independence, in a political coup that has the European Union on edge.
The legal changes, proposed by a member of parliament from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), weaken the powers of the High Prosecutorial Council, a body that elects prosecutors and is responsible for guaranteeing their independence.
The work of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime (TOK) would be particularly at risk. As a result of these changes, almost half of the prosecutors currently in post would be obliged to leave their posts and return to the public prosecutor’s offices from which they had been temporarily seconded.
In recent months, the TOK has indicted several former and current SNS government ministers on suspicion of corruption, falsification of documents and abuse of power. These convictions earned it heavy criticism from government figures, including the President, Aleksandar Vučić.
In a statement to the Serbian media outlet N1, the European Commission disapproved of a “hasty and non-transparent” process about which it had not been consulted.
In a post on X, the Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, stated that this vote “is a serious step back on Serbia’s EU path” (see EUROPE 13736/14).
The attitude of Belgrade, which continues to cultivate “cordial” ties with Vladimir Putin’s regime while proclaiming its desire to join the EU, is increasingly irritating the European Commission (see EUROPE 13771/23).
As further proof of the stalemate, Belgrade’s EU accession process has been at a standstill since December 2021, when the country opened its last set of negotiating chapters (cluster). Only two of the 22 chapters opened by Serbia have been closed. (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)