On December 21, 2025, an article entitled "Picula would like to govern Serbia: He does not like the independent policy pursued by Aleksandar Vučić" was published on the pages of the Serbian internet portal Informer,  in which accusations are made against Tonino Picula, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) from Croatia in the European Parliament and the official rapporteur of the European Parliament for Serbia, who compiled a report back in May of the same year on the socio-political situation in Serbia, in which he criticized the existing government in Serbia for attacking protesters and the opposition. It is important to point out that the report in question was adopted by the majority in the European Parliament by MEPs from all European Union (EU) member states.

 

Figure 1. Screenshot of the cover of the article in question on the Informer web portal.

Before the analysis, it should be pointed out that the Internet portal Informer, according to the data of Media Ownership Monitor Serbia, is classified in the category of pro-government media that are at the very bottom in terms of professionalism and journalistic profession, "with the largest number of violations of the journalistic code of ethics." It is also generally accepted by the expert public that newspapers are not only close to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), but also often serve as a tool for attacking opponents and critics of the party, as well as those whose work does not correspond to the authorities - politicians, independent media, journalists, civil society groups and activists. The Informer web portal is largely financed by financial donations from the City of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Pančevo, Vršac, Indjija and Stara Pazova. For example, in 2022, Informer received a total of six million dinars in tenders for media support in Serbia.

In the said article, the following statement is disputed, the veracity of which needs to be verified:

Ad. 1. Listening  to the interview that Tonino Picula gave to Media Servis, which is at the very bottom of the analyzed article, it was noticed that Picula emphasized that Croatia, or any other EU member state, cannot elect the government in Serbia, but that the citizens of Serbia are obliged to do so. However, he pointed out that every EU member state, including Croatia, has the right to assess whether such a government respects the elementary standards and values on which the EU is based. He also pointed out that in his report, as well as in numerous other reports written by his predecessors on the situation in Serbia, it was pointed out that Serbia has serious problems with meeting the requirements to which it has committed itself as a candidate country for EU membership. It was pointed out that the government in Serbia has shown a high level of authoritarian behavior and that the current political government in terms of political relations is closer to the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, but to the EU. The assessments of the situation in Serbia are clearly evidenced  by the Report on Serbia 2025.published  by the European Commission on 4 November 2025, which confirms the fact that the EU is monitoring the situation in Serbia at the collective level, which is an integral part of the monitoring of procedures, standards and conditions within the framework of the fulfilment of Article 49 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which clearly states the following: 

"A country wishing to join the EU:it must be a European country;

Depending on the specific situation, the candidate country will have to undergo a process of in-depth reforms, for example by improving its infrastructure and administrative capacity in order to implement new legislation in line with EU legislation and standards (called the acquis). In order for candidate and potential candidate countries to qualify for membership, a strong focus on fundamental reforms of the rule of law, the economy and the functioning of democratic institutions and public administration is needed. During the accession process, the Commission closely monitors and monitors the reform process of the candidate country and potential candidates, providing financial and technical assistance, helping it prepare for EU membership." 

Consequently, Tonino Picula, in his interview for Media Servis,  did not at any time "twistedly admit" that his intentions were to govern the government in Serbia, nor that he was bothered by the independent policy of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, but pointed out all those criteria that a country must meet in order to become an EU member state, whereby, based on his own observation,  He expressed his position on the situation in Serbia. At the same time, we must not ignore the fact that Picula's report was adopted by the majority in the European Parliament, which means that it is a relevant and credible document that testifies to the situation in Serbia. Also, it is worth pointing out that this is a systematic falsification of statements and accusations of MP and rapporteur Picula for what he never said, which we have already written about in one of the previous analyses. 

The claim that the Croatian politician, Member of the European Parliament and rapporteur for Serbia, Tonino Picula, wants to govern the government in Serbia and that he is bothered by the independent policy of Aleksandar Vučić, is a malicious and incorrect claim that seeks to harm not only an individual, i.e. Tonino Picula, but also the Republic of Croatia, for which it is implicitly suggested that he wants to govern Serbia and shape its political power.