Top European Union leaders expressed astonishment on Tuesday following Serbia’s honoring of Ratko Mladic, a Bosnian Serb general who passed away while serving a life sentence for war crimes. The officials raised concerns about Serbia’s suitability for EU membership. Mladic was laid to rest in Belgrade with military tributes, led by Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and accompanied by Serbian army soldiers carrying his coffin.
Numerous Serbian government ministers attended the funeral of Mladic, infamously known as the “Butcher of Bosnia” and convicted of perpetrating Europe’s first genocide post-World War II. Despite his crimes, many Serbs still regard Mladic as a hero. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa condemned the official support and attendance of senior Serbian officials at the funeral, deeming it a failure to address Europe’s dark past and conflicting with the values necessary for Serbia’s EU integration.
When asked about potential repercussions for Serbia’s EU bid, von der Leyen’s spokesperson indicated that the situation is being assessed. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic did not attend the funeral, but his son was present, alongside figures such as Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik and the Russian ambassador in Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko. Serbia’s Justice Minister Nenad Vujic also participated in the event.
Mladic was convicted by the United Nations for genocide in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo. The UK summoned Serbia’s charge d’affaires to denounce the involvement of Serbian state and military officials in Mladic’s funeral, emphasizing that glorifying a war criminal undermines reconciliation and stability in the Western Balkans.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos previously warned that Mladic’s funeral would test Belgrade, leading to the cancellation of her upcoming visit to Serbia due to the conflicting values. The EU typically issues its annual enlargement report in late October or early November, assessing candidate countries like Serbia on their progress and deficiencies. Von der Leyen is expected to tour the Western Balkans before the report’s release, with specific details yet to be confirmed.
Mladic’s funeral is unlikely to bolster Serbia’s EU aspirations, already hindered by democratic setbacks. In April, concerns over election irregularities raised the possibility of Serbia losing access to significant EU funding. Despite these challenges, Vucic’s party maintains close ties with the European People’s Party, the largest political alliance in the EU. Criticism has emerged regarding the EPP’s support for Vucic and the celebration of convicted war criminals within the party.
While some EU members have refrained from publicly criticizing Vucic, the EPP’s history with Hungary’s Fidesz party, and subsequent suspension over democracy concerns, highlight the delicate balance between political affiliations and upholding EU values.