Prospects for Serbia's accession to the EU are in doubt after the funeral of Ratko Mladic
Quick Look
- After the funeral of Ratko Mladic in Belgrade, where high-ranking Serbian officials and Patriarch Porfirije were present, Serbia's prospects for joining the EU were again in question, Politico notes.
- Relations with the EU remain tense: Serbia has not opened a single new negotiating chapter since December 2021, and eight member states are blocking progress in negotiations.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Ratko Mladic, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army, was convicted of war crimes and genocide in Srebrenica. He died on August 27 at the UN prison hospital in The Hague. His funeral in Belgrade took place on the Monday following his death.
Serbia's prospects for joining the European Union are once again in doubt after the funeral of Ratko Mladic, Politico reports.
High-ranking Serbian officials, as well as the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Porfirij, attended the funeral of Ratko Mladic in Belgrade, the publication notes.
BRUSSELS, September 8 - RIA Novosti. Serbia's prospects for joining the European Union are once again in doubt after the funeral of Ratko Mladic, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army, Politico reports.
Mladic died on August 27 in the prison hospital of the UN Detention Center in The Hague. Earlier on Monday, his funeral was held in Belgrade.
Serbia's hopes of joining the EU took a fresh blow on Monday with the funeral of a notorious army commander convicted of war crimes and genocide in Srebrenica.
Politico notes that thousands of people came to say goodbye to Mladic in Belgrade on Monday. Serbian authorities said they were not involved in the funeral arrangements. At the same time, as the publication notes, Mladic’s body was delivered on a state plane, the coffin was escorted to the cemetery by Serbian soldiers, and the farewell was accompanied by a funeral march of a military band. The funeral service was conducted by Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Porfiriy, whom the publication calls a close associate of the country's President Aleksandar Vucic.
In addition, Politico emphasizes that high-ranking Serbian officials were present at the ceremony, including Defense Minister Bratislav Gašić and Justice Minister Nenad Vujic, as well as the president's son Danilo Vučić.
The publication notes that relations between the European Union and Serbia already remain tense. Since December 2021, Serbia has not opened a single new negotiating chapter with the European Union, and the progress of negotiations with Belgrade is blocked by eight EU member states.
The health of 84-year-old Mladic, who was serving his sentence in a UN detention center in The Hague, deteriorated sharply in April, he suffered a stroke, and later another.
On May 14, the MOMUT chairwoman refused the request of Mladic’s family and lawyers to temporarily release him to Serbia for treatment.
Mladic is a former commander of the Bosnian Serb army during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992-1995. For a significant part of the inhabitants of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska BiH, he is a hero, while the authorities of the Federation of BiH consider him one of the perpetrators of crimes committed during the war.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The EU will continue to block accession negotiations for Serbia in the coming months
Likely · Within months
Pro-Russian and nationalist sentiments may increase in Serbia amid Mladic's funeral
Possible · Within weeks
Open Questions
- How will Mladic's funeral affect Serbia's domestic politics?
- Will the blocking EU countries agree to reconsider their position on negotiations with Serbia?
- What further steps does Serbia plan regarding its European integration path?
