MAZALICA CRITICIZES PICULA'S REMARKS: THOSE WHO PREACH EUROPEAN VALUES IGNORE THEIR VIOLATION IN PRACTICE

BANJA LUKA, MARCH 21 /SRNA/ - How can one trust the EU about which we are being lectured by a person who, on the anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Croatia, publishes a war-time photo with a rifle and in uniform, said the head of the SNSD parliamentary group in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, Srđan Mazalica.

"He mentions the verdict against President Milorad Dodik, but he is not bothered by the fact that the process was initiated after Christian Schmidt amended the Criminal Code by usurping the authority of parliament, which is contrary to EU regulations," Mazalica told SRNA, reacting to recent media statements by Tonino Picula on BiH’s European path. "Pure hypocrisy", Mazalica emphasized, noting that those who like to lecture others about European values turn a blind eye when those very values are being brutally undermined in practice. Picula said that others openly reject the EU, such as Dodik, because despite court rulings they continue to operate comfortably in politics, relying on rhetoric that, in his view, poisons people. For that reason, he believes, the malign influence of politicians within the country is more dangerous, as they are unwilling to do more to help the state, at least occasionally, remove obstacles so that the EU can continue to be favorable toward BiH.