Balgarianovinite.com Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has signed decrees approving a set of judicial reforms which the European Commission (EC) has described as “a serious step backwards in Serbia’s European integration process”, according to reports in Serbian media. The five laws were passed by the ruling majority in the Serbian Parliament on January 28 and came into force on January 30, according to Radio Television of Serbia.
The adopted amendments affect the laws on prosecution and judges, as well as the laws on the locations and jurisdictions of courts and prosecution offices. The set of laws also includes changes to the High Prosecutorial Council law, as well as amendments to the law on the organization and competence of state bodies for combating high-tech crime. Opposition party representatives believe that the changes are intended to give the government greater control over the judicial system and reduce the objectivity of prosecution offices. According to media reports, the laws were adopted without public debate or consultation with prosecutors, judges, the Venice Commission or the European Union, who assessed that the government was attempting to take control of the judicial system.
The EC immediately called on Belgrade to review the laws and align them with European standards as soon as possible. It concluded that the laws undermine the independence of the judiciary, as well as the autonomy and functioning of the prosecution services.
The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, said on January 29 that candidate countries for European integration are expected to behave in a European manner. According to her, these amendments were adopted in a very quick and non-transparent manner. She described them as “a serious step backwards”.
In response to the criticism from Brussels, President Vucic said that he “had not even read the laws”, and when asked whether MPs from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) would respond to the request for their revision, he said that “it was their job”.
Members of the ruling majority in the Serbian parliament defended the changes, arguing that they would make the courts more efficient and fairer. MP Ugljesa Mrdic of the SNS, the sponsor of the proposals, said that their adoption “has started a process of returning the stolen judicial system to the state and the people”. According to the Serbian edition of Radio Free Europe, on the day he signed the decrees, Vucic met with ambassadors from EU member states in Belgrade.
Writing on his Instagram profile, the President said that Serbia remains committed to dialogue, stability, and a responsible approach, with a clear desire to demonstrate through its work and results that it is a reliable partner of the EU. Vucic added that the meeting had been an open and substantive conversation with the ambassadors of the EU member states about Serbia’s European path, the reforms the country is implementing, and the challenges it faces. He further stated that the Serbian government had decided to form an operational body to coordinate the accelerated implementation of all obligations on Serbia’s European path. Serbian President Vucic Signs Judicial Laws EC Describes as Step Backward for European Integration 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-01-30 20:16:38 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law