Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced the decision to cancel the September 12-18 EuroPride celebration during a press conference, where he also proposed extending the term of Serbia’s prime minister, who identifies as a lesbian. Members of the European Pride Organizers Association (EPOA) chose the Serbian capital three years ago to host the annual event. Vucic said a crisis with neighboring Kosovo and various economic problems were among the reasons why the Balkan country’s authorities did not believe they could manage EuroPride, which includes a pride parade. “This is a violation of the rights of minorities, but at the moment the state is pressed by many problems,” he said. EuroPride organizers said Serbian authorities must provide security against “bullies” who threaten the march and seek to discredit it. EPOA President Kristin Garina urged Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic to honor her promise to support the event. “President Vucic cannot cancel someone else’s event,” Garina said. “The right to own Pride has been ruled by the European Court of Human Rights as a fundamental human right.” An organizer in Serbia, Goran Miletic, said the police should officially ban the march from taking place. If they issue a ban, the organizers will file a complaint with the Serbian constitutional court. He insisted that domestic events planned as part of the week-long celebration cannot be banned. “The only thing that can happen is that the police ban it [Pride] course,” said Miletic. “However, such a hypothetical decision would be unconstitutional.” Serbia has pledged to protect LGBTQ+ rights as it seeks EU membership, while increasingly vocal right-wing activists harass and sometimes attack people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Serbia’s right-wing and pro-Russian groups have gained strength and some secured seats in parliament during the country’s general election in April. Several thousand people recently took part in a march in Belgrade against LGBTQ+ Pride. “The question is not whether they will do it [extremists] they’re stronger, but you just can’t do them all at the same time, and that’s it,” Vucic said. “I’m not happy about it, but we can’t do it.” Vucic won another five-year term in April’s first round of voting, and his Serbian Progressive Party won the general election in a landslide. The president said on Saturday that Brnabic, who led the country’s previous two governments, should lead the new cabinet expected to be formed in the coming weeks. Brnabic first became Serbia’s prime minister in 2017, in what was seen as a major change for a country that is predominantly conservative and male-dominated. Brnabić lives with her partner, but LGBTQ+ groups have criticized the prime minister, saying she has done little to improve the position of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in Serbian society. After clashes at the Belgrade Pride march in 2010, subsequent marches were held under heavy police protection. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. EuroPride was first celebrated in London in 1992, and Belgrade was to be the first city in southeastern Europe to host the event, according to organizers. Next month’s event was expected to attract thousands of people from across Europe. Vucic said the celebration could be postponed for “happier times.” He insisted that state authorities should instead plan for energy problems expected for the winter, partly as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Serbian government has condemned the Russian invasion but has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia. Vucic said tensions with Kosovo, a former Serbian province whose independence the government in Belgrade has refused to recognize, were another source of pressure on authorities. Tensions rose last month with a row over travel documents and license plates and have heightened concerns about instability in the Balkans, where multiple wars have been fought amid the breakup of Yugoslavia. Serbia relies on the support of Russia and China to continue to claim that Kosovo is part of its territory. Washington and most EU countries have recognized Kosovo’s independence. US and EU envoys visited Kosovo and Serbia earlier this week in an attempt to ease tensions.
