Serbian president wants to cancel Europe’s biggest Pride event, sparking criticism

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Europe’s largest Pride event, scheduled to be held in the Serbian capital in September, will be canceled or postponed, the Balkan countrys President Aleksandar Vui said on Saturday.

Speaking at a press conference in Belgrade, the Serbian leader said that the decision to cancel or postpone EuroPride was difficult because I am not very happy to jeopardize the rights of a minority.

However, Vui also said that the majority of government ministers, including Prime Minister Ana Brnabi, had agreed to the move because the country had been facing a number of issues in recent times.

We cant do it because we have a significant crisis in Kosovo, which wont stop before 1 September,” saidVui.

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 license plates, scheduled to be introduced on 1 September.

Seen 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.

Its not about them being stronger. You simply cant do everything at one point and thats that, Vui said.

EuroPrideis the largest LGBTQ+ event featuring a Pride parade on the continent, hosted by a different European city each year.

European Pride Organizers Association or EPOA, which owns the license to EuroPride, responded to the Serbian presidents statement by saying that the government cannot legally cancel the event, vowing to hold the Pride parade despite the decision.

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 stated.

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