politics
March 18, 2026
Danas's Interviewees: Adoption of the Venice Commission's Suggestions Will Depend on the Authorities' Will
A delegation from the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe spent two days in Belgrade, during which they held a series of separate meetings with representatives of the ruling majority, opposition parties, civil society organizations, and professional associations, on the topic of the recently adopted and widely criticized amendments to the set of judicial laws, the so-called Mrdić's laws.
TL;DR
- The Venice Commission met with Serbian officials and civil society representatives regarding controversial amendments to judicial laws.
- The commission's opinion is not legally binding but will impact Serbia's progress in EU accession negotiations.
- The Association of Prosecutors of Serbia expressed a generally negative view of the amendments, focusing on potential risks to prosecutorial independence.
- NGO Jukom highlighted procedural irregularities in the adoption of the laws, including the lack of public debate and consultation.
- Both groups emphasized that the adoption of the commission's suggestions will depend on the authorities' political will.
- The Venice Commission also presented its stance at an OSCE meeting, stating that laws passed without public debate and in accelerated procedures contradict standards.
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