Europe’s greatest Pride tournament, scheduled to be held within the Serbian capital in September, might be “cancelled or postponed,” the Balkan nation’s President Aleksandar Vučić mentioned on Saturday.
Speaking at a press convention in Belgrade, the Serbian chief mentioned that the verdict to cancel or put off EuroPride was once tough “because I am not very happy to jeopardise the rights of a minority”.
However, Vučić additionally mentioned that almost all of presidency ministers, together with Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, had agreed to the transfer for the reason that nation have been dealing with quite a lot of problems lately.
“We can’t do it because we have … a significant crisis in Kosovo, which won’t stop before 1 September,” said Vučić.
Prishtina and Belgrade have been at a weeks-long standoff after the Kosovo government announced it would introduce reciprocity measures affecting Serbian citizens, involving entry documents and licence plates, scheduled to be introduced on 1 September.
Vučić denied that the decision was made due to mounting pressures from the more radical parts of the society and the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Earlier in August, thousands attended a “pro-family” event backed by a religious procession known as “litije” through the streets of Belgrade, protesting the alleged negative influence of EuroPride on traditional family values.
“It’s not about them being stronger. You simply can’t do everything at one point and that’s that,” Vučić mentioned.
EuroPride is the most important LGBTQ+ tournament that includes a Pride parade at the continent, hosted through a distinct European town each and every yr.
European Pride Organisers Association or EPOA, which owns the licence to EuroPride, replied to the Serbian president’s remark through announcing that the federal government can not legally cancel the development, vowing to carry the Pride parade in spite of the verdict.
“The right to hold Pride has been ruled by the European Court of Human Rights to be a fundamental human right,” EPOA President Kristine Garina said in a statement on Saturday.
“Any attempt to ‘ban’ a Pride is a breach of Articles 11, 13 and 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights, ratified by Serbia as a member of the Council of Europe.”
“EuroPride is not cancelled, and will not be cancelled. During the bidding process for EuroPride 2022, Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic promised the full support of the Serbian government for EuroPride in Belgrade, and we expect that promise to be honoured,” Garina mentioned.
