On Wednesday, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called on Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic to take decisive action regarding the country’s stated ambition to join the European Union. This includes the necessity of implementing sanctions against Russia, Serbia’s traditional ally, in light of its actions in Ukraine. Notably, Serbia remains the only European nation that has not imposed sanctions on Moscow. While President Vucic affirms that EU membership is Serbia’s strategic objective, he has concurrently fostered closer ties with Russia and China. He has not progressed toward the democratic reforms that are critical for EU accession.
President von der Leyen also addressed the importance of advancing democratic reforms, especially in light of recent concerns regarding a crackdown on protests against the increasing authoritarian governance in Serbia.
“We live in a fractured world with a widening gap between democracies and autocracies,” von der Leyen said at a joint press conference with Vucic. “And you know very well where the European Union stands.”
In recent months, there have been sustained protests led by university students and other anti-government groups, representing a significant challenge to President Aleksandar Vucic’s administration. The demonstrations originated in response to a tragic incident on 1 November of the previous year, when a canopy at a train station in Novi Sad collapsed, resulting in the loss of 16 lives. Many citizens attribute this disaster to negligence linked to corruption in infrastructure contracts with Chinese companies.
Despite the protesters’ calls for early parliamentary elections, President Vucic has declined to take this step. The protests have also led to the detainment of numerous individuals and the loss of employment for some participants. Additionally, Serbian riot police have been criticised for employing excessive force in managing the protests.
“We stand for freedom instead of oppression, including the right to peaceful assembly,” von der Leyen said. “We stand for partnership instead of submission. We stand for diplomacy instead of aggression.”
“Now is the moment for Serbia to get concrete about joining our union,” she added, listing reforms in the rule of law, electoral framework and media freedom as key first steps, The Associated Press reported.
“We need to see greater alignment on our foreign policy, including sanctions against Russia,” von der Leyen said. “We want to count on Serbia as a reliable partner.”
Belgrade has historically maintained close ties with Moscow and is mainly dependent on Russia for energy. The Serbian oil monopoly, Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), faces U.S. sanctions due to its majority Russian ownership. President Aleksandar Vučić has warned of a challenging winter and called for EU support in addressing an impending energy crisis, while asserting that police used “minimum force” in response to recent protests, despite reports of violence.
Ursula von der Leyen recently visited Belgrade as part of a tour of Western Balkan nations seeking EU membership. In light of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU has intensified efforts to integrate these countries, concerned about regional stability following the 1990s conflicts. The EU’s growth plan offers funding and gradual market integration in exchange for necessary reforms.
(This article used information from the Associated Press)
