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Serbia and Hungary warn of external moves against elected governments

The Balkans Materials 1 July 2025 10:10 (UTC +04:00)
Serbia and Hungary warn of external moves against elected governments
Abdul Karimkhanov
Abdul Karimkhanov
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1. Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić met in Szeged with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó and discussed foreign attempts to overthrow elected governments, Trend reports via the Serbian MFA.

Following the meeting, the sides announced that the countries are on the right side of history and on the side of protecting true democracy, and that orchestrated attempts to destabilize their states will not succeed.

At a press conference following the meeting, Đurić stated that he stands shoulder to shoulder with the Hungarian minister in opposing efforts to undermine the legitimately elected governments of Serbia and Hungary through external actions, organized to subvert the democratically expressed will of the people and redirect it to serve centers of power far outside Belgrade and Budapest.

He noted that there are significant parallels between what we are witnessing these days on the streets of our capitals, but there is also an equally strong parallel in the determination and resilience of our nations and leaderships to protect the true democratic will of our citizens.

"That's why I can say openly here that, contrary to the claims and the pressures being exerted, we are indeed on the right side of history and on the side of protecting true democracy — not the kind imposed through paid media, certain civil organizations funded from abroad, and through staging that aims to change, by illegal means and foreign interference, the governments elected by the democratic will of the people in both countries," Đurić noted.

According to him, full solidarity exists between Serbia and Hungary on this issue, because the same methods are being used by those mentioned centers of power to try to overthrow both Serbia and Hungary, with the targets being Aleksandar Vučić, the President of Serbia, and Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary.

"I am among those who firmly believe that freedom of expression and differing opinions, especially minority ones, are a treasure of any society. However, what we have witnessed in recent days in Belgrade is not that. We are witnessing attempts to use violent methods contrary to everything the organizers of those gatherings claim to stand for to forcibly change the government, against the democratically expressed will of the majority of citizens in Serbia," Đurić explained.

The Serbian foreign minister reminded that an unregistered gathering was held on Saturday in Belgrade, during which the police were attacked, which was against domestic laws and also contrary to acceptable methods of political struggle in a democratic world.

"How can you credibly claim to fight for democracy and the rule of law if you're not even willing to register your gatherings following the laws of a legal state? If you're not ready to respect the rules of that same legal state, which require that citizens be guaranteed freedom of movement?" Đurić asked.

According to him, the target of these attacks is Serbia's free and independent domestic and foreign policy, and we are witnessing attempts by centers of power outside our region to bring under control the political class, both in Serbia and in Hungary.

"I always advocate for the right to free and diverse opinion, but this is an attempt by a minority to establish a kind of political control; it’s not even an exaggeration to call it a kind of terror, over the majority in the country. And in that sense, our police and institutions continue to act lawfully, responsibly, and to preserve not only the constitutional order of our country, but also the democratically expressed will," Đurić said.

He emphasized that in Serbia, governments will not and cannot be overthrown in the streets, and that the only ones authorized to decide who governs are the citizens of Serbia through elections.

Minister Szijjártó also warned that externally controlled actions are underway, aimed at changing governments in Central European countries where sovereignty is being defended by those in power.

"We know that in both Hungary and Serbia, the governments are working in the interest of their nations' sovereignty. It’s clear that actions are being organized against such governments, financed and supported from abroad," Szijjártó warned.

In such a situation, he said, cooperation between Hungary and Serbia becomes even more important, especially in the field of energy, since both countries refuse to give up cheap Russian gas and oil.

"Brussels wants to support Ukraine in a way that endangers energy supply in our region, and it is simply impossible for us to accept energy prices that are four or five times higher," Szijjártó explained.

Hungary’s top diplomat also said that the citizens of his country had spoken out in a referendum against Ukraine's fast-track accession to the EU, and that their government would respect that decision.

"We don’t want Ukraine to join the EU through an accelerated procedure, because that would be dangerous for both the economy and the security of Europe. However, we support speeding up EU enlargement in the Western Balkans, as that would give new momentum to the EU and increase security. I think there’s no reasonable person today who believes Ukraine is in better shape than Serbia, or who thinks countries in worse condition should be admitted to the EU before those that have advanced and are in good shape," said Szijjártó.

At the press conference, the ministers also said they discussed a number of other bilateral issues, such as transport and energy infrastructure. Minister Đurić especially thanked his Hungarian counterpart for supporting not only Serbia but the entire region in the EU accession process, emphasizing that Serbia is not going to Brussels with its hand out asking for something, but because it can contribute to the development and growth of the European economy and European security.

"I'm glad that Hungary and Serbia jointly support regional stability, and we are grateful to our Hungarian friends for understanding the difficult situation of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and for Hungary’s contribution to security there through participation in the KFOR mission, which helps protect both Serbian and other local populations in Kosovo," said Đurić, adding that he especially informed his Hungarian colleague about the persecution of the Serbian Christian population who were not allowed to celebrate this year's Vidovdan in Kosovo in a dignified manner.

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