Aleksandar Vučić

September 28 has been set as the date for the first Gay Pride to take place in Belgrade since 2010. In 2011 and 2012, the parade was banned along with all other LGBT demonstrations, in the wake of the homophobic violence which marked the 2010 event.

In a context of hostility from the Serbian orthodox Church and several nationalist groups as well as part of the government, there was no certainty that the parade would go ahead until a few days ago.

The Council of Europe and the EU had expressed their view that the event should be allowed to take place. Both the Minister for EU affairs, Branko Ružić, and the chief negotiator in EU membership talks, Tanja Miščević, have declared that they will take part. Not so the Deputy Prime Minister and government strongman, Aleksandar Vučić.

Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday
Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic