Members of a European Parliament delegation visiting Serbia on an observer mission viewed an exhibition on the Jasenovac concentration camp in the central lobby of the National Assembly on Friday, local media reported, countering earlier claims by some Serbian officials that the group had tried to avoid it.
The exhibition, titled “Jasenovac – A Lasting Warning,” was set up to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day and focuses on the atrocities at Jasenovac, a complex of death camps run by the World War II fascist‑led Independent State of Croatia, where large numbers of Serbs, Jews, and Roma were killed.
After meeting with Deputy Speaker Elvira Kovač, the delegation, led by European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia Tonino Picula, moved through the parliamentary lobby to view the display, reporters said.
The visit came amid political tensions over the delegation’s presence, with Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) lawmakers earlier claiming that some MEPs had asked to avoid the central hall because of the exhibition. Milenko Jovanov, head of the SNS parliamentary group, described such a request as a “scandal.”
However, Picula’s office denied that the delegation sought to bypass the exhibit, saying protocol arrangements were handled by parliamentary authorities and that MEPs had no objection to seeing it. Observers noted that the EU is founded on anti‑fascist principles and that visiting exhibitions such as this deepens understanding of the historical context.
The episode highlights sensitivities around historical memory and diplomatic engagement in the Western Balkans, where World War II legacies continue to influence contemporary politics and Serbia’s ties with European institutions.