Bosanac to young Croatian Serbs: We must ensure you can breathe freely politically

European Parliament member Gordan Bosanac told participants in a Serb National Council (SNV) political education programme during their study visit to Brussels on Friday that a majority population has a responsibility to defend minority rights and ensure minorities can “breathe freely” in a country’s political life.

Young members of Croatia’s Serb community met Bosanac and Tonino Picula, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Serbia, who outlined their work in the European Parliament and discussed current European and global challenges.

Bosanac said minorities should play a greater role in Croatian politics, but argued too much responsibility is often placed on their shoulders.

“The majority communities should defend minority rights and ensure minorities can freely participate in political life. In Croatia – and that is particularly evident here in the European Parliament – diversity should be welcomed, as it makes both Croatia and Europe stronger,” he said, contrasting this with the approach of right-wing political forces in Croatia.

He also stressed the importance of the student movement in Serbia and pointed to the challenges facing Europe from right-wing and extremist forces, as well as policies that exclude migrants, minority communities and LGBT people, expressing hope that Europe would overcome these trends.

Picula, arriving directly from the EU–Western Balkans summit in Tivat, stressed the importance of EU integration for countries in the region. He discussed the challenges facing Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and Georgia on their European paths, and emphasised the importance of dialogue within Serbia regarding EU membership.

The participants also heard from Kateryna Haertel of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN), who described the organisation as a pan-European network representing more than 120 organisations of autochthonous national minorities across Europe and neighbouring regions.

FUEN brings together minority representatives, civil society experts and various organisations to raise awareness of key issues and discuss solutions to the common challenges facing Europe’s national minorities.