Federica Woelk: Russian intervention in the Balkans has increased

“In the Balkans, Russian interference has increased and we can see very well how Serbia is handling this,” Federica Woelk, an expert on the Balkans at the European Parliament, points out in a short interview for The Geopost.

She adds that the European Parliament is engaged in combating disinformation and Russian propaganda in the Balkans, but, according to her, it can do more in this direction.

Among other things, Woelk also talks about the EU’s treatment of Serbia and Kosovo and the steps that should be taken in the future.

Full interview:

The Geopost: Two years after Russian aggression in Ukraine, how do you see Russian interferences in Europe and especially in Balkans?

Unluckily, I think that interference has just increased in the last months, especially in the Balkans, and we can see it very well on how Serbia is dealing with it. But also within the EU, I have a very recent example with Italy, because the Prime Minister of Italy has had a telephone call the last days, or actually it’s a few months ago, but it came out very recently with two Russian experts of interference and she was speaking very openly also about Ukraine, saying that there is a Ukraine fatigue, which obviously shouldn’t have come out to the public and this is a very good example of how easy it is also for foreign actors to Interfere and to come even at such high levels as governments.

The Geopost: We have a lot of disinformation attacks and Russian propaganda inside Serbia. What can European Parliament do to stop Russian propaganda?

The European Parliament is actively engaged in combating disinformation, especially in the Balkans. But in my opinion, it can do even more, like for example getting more into the topic of Kosovo and Serbia, and trying to really understand the facts and to push for the facts. And in my opinion this is still lacking. While it is true that it’s important to fight directly the actor who is interfering in my opinion it’s also important to push for the truth at the same time and I don’t see it happening that much let’s say.

The Geopost: Does EU parliament believe that Vucic can really move Serbia to the left? Because we don’t believe.

I don’t think that anyone actually believes that Vucic can be taken over to the West. But I think that this is the belief they are hanging on because there is no alternative to that at the moment. I think that the main fear is if the EU imposes sanctions on Serbia, then it will be completely over, even though it’s already, but I think they really have the hope that by not imposing sanctions they will be able to somehow have a positive response from Serbia. But as you also correctly said, Vucic is already doing this shift to the other side.

The Geopost: When we see all these facts about Serbia and Vucic, why still Brussels push sanctions for Kosovo and not for Serbia?

This is a very good question. I don’t know about this and I’m also very upset about this. I’m calling almost each day for the EU to remove the sanctions on Kosovo, especially because in the last months with the dialogue, the constructive part has clearly been Kosovo and not Serbia. Serbia has also said directly in the face of Von Der Leyen that it has no intention to de facto recognize Kosovo. So in my opinion, it’s rather a monologue than a dialogue. So I really think that it’s high time that the EU removes the sanctions. But I also know and I’m also very happy that the European Parliament managed to vote on a resolution which is clearly pro-Kosovo in a sense, and states a lot of facts also about the terrorist attack in Banjska and I really think that this is the point where also the European Commission should start to work on.

/The Geopost/