The development in Serbia is going in the wrong direction, the government thinks.
Now parts of the aid are being stopped, says Aid Minister Benjamin Dousa.
– It is not a natural law that you get to share in Swedish tax money, but we want you to deliver on the reforms, he says.
In the past year, there have been large protests against the Serbian government and President Aleksandar Vučić. Most recently on Sunday, demonstrations against corruption and the concentration of power around Vučić turned violent.
– Serbia has gone in the wrong direction. We see it in several areas, from corruption growing, freedom of speech and media freedom going in the wrong direction and failure to uphold the principles of the rule of law, says Benjamin Dousa (M), Minister of Aid and Foreign Trade.
Contributions to Serbia are stopped
The government therefore took a decision last week to stop parts of the aid to Serbia. Five million kroner is to be redirected from the country in 2025 and 13 million in 2026. The total aid to Serbia amounts to kroner 135 million this year.
– We now want to shift this support to other countries. For example, Armenia and Moldova where we see that things are going in the right direction, says Benjamin Dousa.
Aid that goes to strengthen Serbian civil society will remain, as will aid to authorities where there are deemed to be advantages for Sweden. Among other things, the cooperation with the police in the country remains.
– It is because there is a Swedish interest in us being able to arrest serious criminals in Serbia and have them extradited to Sweden, says Benjamin Dousa.
Vučić promises new elections
After this weekend’s demonstration, Aleksandar Vučić has promised that a new election will be held before the current mandate expires in 2027. According to Benjamin Dousa, Serbia would have to make several concrete advances and implement the reforms required of Serbia as a candidate country for the EU.
– It is necessary to take these questions seriously, which is also a prerequisite for approaching possible EU membership, he says.
Aid to Serbia
Which collaborations are stopped?
Cooperation between the Swedish and Serbian tax authorities.
Cooperation with the Serbian state via the UN.
A planned collaboration with the Serbian Ministry of Finance does not begin.
Which collaborations continue?
Collaborations deemed to be in Sweden’s interest:
The police authority.
The Land Survey and the Nature Conservation Agency.
Cooperation with the Council of Europe and the OSCE, focused on law enforcement and judicial cooperation.
